Birthday
by jane0904
Summary: Next in the Mal/Freya tales. The crew go down to Osiris to head River off, but things don't go to plan. Last chapter up, and there'll be a series of short epilogues! Please review.
1. Chapter 1

**Five months ago …Khaled Fed Base**

"Sir."

"Yes?"

"A report's just come in from Shepherd Delrani at Bathgate Abbey."

"Delrani? What does that old scoundrel have to say?"

"They've had a visit from some suspicious individuals on board a ship called Serenity."

"Visit. What kind of visit?"

"A sabbatical. Only I cross referenced the names he gave, sir."

"And?"

"River and Simon Tam."

"The Tams? Are you sure?"

"Yes sir. There were unconfirmed reports of a Firefly with the fugitives on board taking off for Persephone nearly three years ago, and some sketchy sightings around the time of the Miranda incident."

"Three years. You don't really think they're still on board?"

"The names tally, sir. Don't you think we should report this to the Commander, sir?"

"No. I think the names may be a coincidence. Just mark it received and file it. There's been no new warrants on the Tams for two years. I hardly think that would be the case if they were still a threat, would you?"

"But sir –"

"Just file it. You've done your job. Now leave it."

-

**Two months ago … IAV EXCALIBUR**

"Sir."

"Yes?"

"I came across this in the files. It doesn't look as if it was ever acted upon."

"Serenity. So? Just another smuggling ship."

"The names, sir?"

"Private, it isn't our problem. If the high-ups wanted to chase this up, they would have. Just put it back in the archives and get on with your work."

"Yes sir."

-

**One week ago … Alliance Control, Persephone**

"Sir?"

"Yes?"

"You wanted me to let you know if I found anything on the Tams?"

"And?"

"There's a report from a Shepherd Delrani, Bathgate Abbey, about some people named River and Simon on board a ship called Serenity."

"How old is this report?"

"Nearly five months, sir."

"Did anyone ever investigate?"

"No, sir."

"Well, leave it with me. And I wouldn't worry. I think it's just coincidence."

"Yes sir."

The lieutenant waited until he was sure he was alone before dialling up a very secure, highly secret Cortex address.

"Yes?" said the man who appeared on the screen.

"I'm sending you information." The lieutenant pressed 'forward'.

The other man read, his surprise shown only by the merest twitch of an eyebrow. "The Tams?" he said. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. We know where they are."

"No, you don't. Delete the file."

The lieutenant paused for only a nanosecond. "Of course. And my payment?"

"As usual." The man closed the connection then turned to his colleague. "He's becoming a nuisance," he added.

"We'll deal with him in due course," the second man said. "But he has delivered us something very important."

"Shall I send out a team?"

"Yes, I think that would be a good idea." He looked down at the screen. "This could be very profitable."

---

Kaylee looked down at the display on the stall and smiled happily. Pretty things, little bits of nothing that she'd be able to wear again soon. The smile widened. Not that it mattered, she thought, her hand on her swollen belly. Not with a child soon to look after.

"Kaylee, honey, I'm really not so sure this is a good idea," Simon said next to her.

"Why not?" She pointed. "Ooh, that's nice."

He glanced down but didn't know what she was referring to, so went back to the matter in hand. "It's so close to your time …"

She turned to look at him, love on her face, with a slight touch of humour in her eyes. "Simon, it's over a week yet. And there's some stuff I need."

"Stuff? Look, couldn't River and I –"

"No." She patted him on the arm then slipped hers through his. "Now come on. Time you get moving this baby'll be clamouring to be born." He looked so scandalised that she laughed.

"Kaylee, I was the one who –"

"Simon, honey, I just need to get a few things and we'll be back on Serenity sooner than you know. Just bear with me, okay?"

He looked at her and sighed. "How did I ever get myself tangled up with someone like you?" he asked.

"Because you stopped running long enough," River said, appearing like a ghost from nowhere.

Kaylee laughed. "That he did." She turned her bulk towards the other stalls. "Come on, I've got a long list."

"You said it was a few," Simon accused.

"So I lied. That's why you have to come along so you can carry it all for me."

---

The stallholder handed the ring back, a grin on his face. "Hope it fits," he said, his voice gravelly.

Mal nodded and turned to look at Freya at his side. She lifted her left hand and he paused a moment.

"Thinking better of it?" she joked.

His lips twitched. "After going to all this trouble to get it resized, I don't think so," he said, and slid the ring onto her third finger. He smiled as it fitted perfectly. "Good job," he said approvingly, turning to the stallholder and pulling a small wad of bills from his pocket. He peeled off two and handed them over. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," the man said. "Anything else takes your fancy while you're here?"

"I don't think I can afford it," Mal said, watching as Freya picked up a silver bracelet. "I said we can't afford it," he repeated.

"Just looking," his fiancée grinned, dropping the jewellery back down. "I've got the only piece I want."

Mal smiled and put his arm around her waist. "Me too." He squeezed. "Now you've just got to name the day."

"I will," she promised. "I will. Soon."

He groaned in exasperation.

---

"Are you sure you need all this?" Simon asked, struggling with a large bag and two boxes as they made their way through the shanties back towards the landing area.

"Absolutely!" Kaylee said.

"It's just that it seems as if we have an awful lot of everything."

"Do you have any idea how much a baby gets through?" Kaylee asked, checking her list. "And I'm having to make do with a lot of stuff. The Cap'n only came here to drop cargo, and there's no real shops."

"It doesn't seem to have stopped you," Simon said, one of the boxes slipping. He grabbed for it only to find the other falling out of his grasp.

River was suddenly there, plucking the box out of the air. "Always have to be around to pick up the pieces," she said smiling.

Kaylee looked up. "Oh," she said, her face intense.

"What? What is it?" Simon asked, his doctoring kicking in.

"I think … she's moving." Kaylee looked at him, a smile forming. "She's doing a somersault."

Simon exhaled, relieved. "Babies do that," he said. "She'll be settling into her birth position soon."

"She's happy," River said unexpectedly.

"What, sweetie?" Kaylee asked.

"The baby. She's happy."

Simon and Kaylee exchanged glances. "Can you hear her?" Simon asked.

River nodded.

"And is everything … all right?" Kaylee put in, her hand on her belly, her eyes hopeful.

"Mmn. She's happy that you are her parents, and she can't wait to meet you." River did a couple of dance steps, then turned around to look at them. "She's happy."

"River, are you making this up?" Simon asked, grabbing her arm, needing to know desperately.

"Not making anything up. I wouldn't lie about _this_," she said, giving her brother one of her looks and pulling free. "You don't need to worry about her," she went on, skipping forward. "She's going to be so -" She stopped in her tracks and turned slowly.

"River? What's – River!" Simon dropped the purchases and rushed across as she fell. He rolled her over gently, shocked beyond measure to see a line of darts down her neck and across her chest. Her eyes were already glazing. "River!" he shouted but she didn't respond.

"I'll get Mal," Kaylee said, turning to hurry as fast as she could towards Serenity when three men came from the dark behind one of the buildings, knocking her down in their bid to get to Simon.

"Kaylee!" the doctor screamed, jumping to his feet but grabbed from behind. "Let me go! I have to –" He tried to pull himself free but the man's grip was too strong. Struggling futilely he saw one of the other men pick River up like she was a rag doll, slinging her over his shoulder.

Kaylee was on the ground, her arms wrapped protectively around her belly, but her face was turned to him, and he could see pain and torment. "Simon!" she shouted as the other two men went towards him, physically trying to haul him off the ground.

He pushed backwards, using the man behind him as a solid point to lift himself up, kicking out. He caught one of the men in the chest, and in the process broke free from the hands holding him. He tried to run between them, to get to Kaylee, but one of the other men pulled a gun from inside his jacket and hit Simon on the side of the head. His vision darkened and the last thing he saw was Kaylee in the dust, one hand on her swollen abdomen, the other reaching out to him, screaming his name.

---

Mal looked up as a small, sleek craft blasted off into the blue, and felt something raise the hairs on the nape of his neck. He looked at Freya, also watching as the vessel disappeared, an odd look on her face. "Mal …" she said.

He nodded, then turned at the sound of people running. "Got a bad feeling about this," he muttered, following the noise.

Not far off was a crowd of people, clustered around something on the ground.

"What's going on?" Freya asked.

"Don't know," a woman said, trying to peer through. "Someone said murder'd been done here."

"Kidnap," said one of the other men, correcting her. "Happens around here occasionally." He looked at Mal. "Slavers, that kind of thing. Though they didn't look like the usual sort."

"What do you mean?"

"Mal." Freya grabbed his arm as the crowd had parted a little.

"_Wuh de tyen, ah_." He pushed through the people, going down on his knees. "Kaylee?"

His mechanic, her face anguished, rolled to look at him. "They took 'em, Cap'n," she managed to say. "They took Simon and River."


	2. Chapter 2

Kaylee groaned. "Oh, Cap'n," she whimpered, grabbing his hand and squeezing tight as a wave of pain shot through her.

"Kaylee?" Mal watched her fight it, then looked up. "We need a doctor!" he said, scanning the crowd.

"We ain't got one," the man who had spoken before said apologetically. "Ours got took by sickness last winter, and there ain't been anyone around since then."

Mal glared at him then gathered Kaylee into his arms, managing to get awkwardly to his feet. "Don't worry, _mei-mei_," he said to her as she held him tightly. "I'll get him back."

He carried her back to Serenity, ignoring the looks from all the people they passed. As the Firefly came into view Freya ran ahead.

"What's going on?" Hank asked, looking out of the cargo bay doors, then saw what Mal was carrying. "_Tzao gao._"

"Go get Zoe and Jayne, now."

Hank nodded and ran off, passing Mal carrying Kaylee, and pausing only a moment to look at her face before running even faster.

"Freya?" Inara looked down from the catwalk.

"I'm going to need your help."

"What is it?" Inara asked, then her face turned white as Mal stepped up the ramp. "Kaylee!" She ran down the stairs as Mal carried the mechanic through into the infirmary.

"I think she's in labour," he said as he laid her tenderly onto the medbed. "We need a doctor."

"Soon as they get back we'll be gone," Freya said, starting to undo Kaylee's clothes.

Mal stopped her with a hand on her arm. "Let Inara do that," he said, pulling her gently out of the door. "Frey, you ever birthed a baby?"

She shook her head. "Nope. You?"

"Foals, calves, yeah, back on the ranch," he admitted. "But generally that was just a case of watching and waiting. I never helped deliver a baby before."

"Inara helped with Petaline's baby," Freya pointed out.

"She told you about that?" Mal asked, distracted for a moment.

"And about Nandi." She put her hand on his arm. "But that's a conversation for another time, don't you think?"

"Yeah, reckon you're right. But Inara did help Simon." Kaylee groaned and Mal looked over. "And she's almost full term."

Freya nodded. "But you're right – we need a doctor."

"We'll find one."

---

Hank got Serenity into the air as soon as the others were on board, Mal staring at the system map.

"How about Verbena?" the pilot said.

"Too far. Take over a day to get there, and I don't know we got that long." He tapped the map. "New Hall's closer."

"They got that quarantine on them right now," Hank pointed out.

"Right. That's out, then."

"Mal, I think it's gonna have to be Beaumonde. Twenty hours if we burn it."

"Twenty …" Mal looked at him, then nodded. "Lay it in. Kaylee can complain about her engine later."

"Yes sir," Hank said as Mal left the bridge.

---

"Freya, it hurts," Kaylee moaned, rolling on the medbed.

"I know, _mei-mei_, but I don't know what to give you that won't hurt the baby."

Kaylee groaned again, clasping tight to Inara's hand. Freya looked at the other woman, something like desolation in her eyes. Inara glanced towards the door and Freya followed her gaze. Mal had appeared in the doorway.

She went outside.

"Mal," she said quietly, "we need Simon."

"Well we ain't got him."

"Then we need another doctor."

"Ain't got one of them neither." He looked inside. "We're going to Beaumonde, closest place with decent medical facilities."

"Beaumonde?" Freya was shocked. "Mal, do you know how long that will take?"

"You want a quack rummaging around anywhere near Kaylee?" he asked in turn.

"Mal," Freya said, stepping closer, dropping her voice lower. "She's breech. Feet first. And I can't turn her."

"You'll just have to cope until we get to Beaumonde."

Freya almost laughed. "I don't know what I'm doing!"

"You're doing fine. Women drop babies all the time –"

"Not like this." She gazed into his blue eyes just inches from her own. "We need a doctor. And a hell of a lot quicker than Beaumonde. Proper medical facilities."

The blue turned to sapphire. "No. No. I ain't even going to consider –"

"It's not your decision, Mal." Freya's voice was harder. "I'm not telling Simon we lost them both because of your pig-headedness."

Mal glared at her, then looked back into the infirmary as Kaylee screamed. "Hank," he said over his shoulder to where the pilot had just joined them. "Check where the nearest Alliance cruiser is."

Hank was shocked. "Mal you can't –"

"Just do it."

"Yes sir." Hank almost ran for the bridge.

Mal looked at Freya. "You know they probably won't let us dock, don't you?"

"Yes they will." She went to go back inside. "I'll tell them who I am."

He grabbed her arm. "No!" he said loudly, causing Inara to lift her head to stare at them. "You can't!"

"If it means they help Kaylee, I will."

"Frey, please," Mal begged, torment in his eyes.

"I won't lose them, Mal," she said, shaking her head. "Not this time."

"There's two," Hank said, looking up from the display as Mal stepped onto the bridge. "The Alaric and the Concord."

"Which one's closer?"

"The Alaric, but she's back the other way. About six hours."

"And the Concord?"

"Nearer thirteen. But she's more or less on the same heading."

Mal stared out of the window at the stars hanging in his black. "So if we turn back, head for the Alaric and they won't help, we've got even longer before…" He shook his head. "Lay in for the Concord."

"Aye sir." Hank made a slight course correction then looked up. "Mal, who took Simon and River?"

"I don't know."

"We gonna go get them back?"

"Oh yes," Mal promised. "Somehow we'll bring them home."

---

A siren pulsed through the ship. "Proximity alert," Hank said.

"Alliance already?" Mal asked following Hank as he ran towards the bridge.

"Not for a few hours," Hank replied. "Shouldn't be anything out here but us and …" He pointed out of the window. "Them."

It was a small craft, very new, keeping pace with them.

"See if they'll –" Mal began, but the com beeped.

"They're calling us," Hank said, surprised.

"Vid?"

Hank shook his head. "Voice only."

"Okay. Answer 'em."

Hank flicked a couple of switches and lifted down the handlink. "This is Serenity. Identify yourself," he said into the com.

"Serenity, prepare for docking." A man's voice, almost expressionless.

"Well, that depends on who you are."

"If you hold your ship steady we will attach."

"Not until –" Hank stopped. "They've gone," he said to Mal.

"They seem to have something of an overwhelming need to come on board," Mal observed. He reached up to the internal com. "Zoe, Jayne, Freya … cargo bay, now."

"We letting them in?"

"That's a Herald class ship out there, Hank." Mal pointed. "They've got enough firepower to take us out if they wanted to kill us. So we'll talk."

---

The Firefly shuddered as the two ships locked together, and Mal glanced around at his crew. Jayne was up on the catwalk, enough weapons about his person to start a small war. Zoe and Freya were either side, ready to take cover if need be, but their guns aimed on the airlock.

"Well, let's just see who our uninvited guests are," Mal said, and signalled to Hank, who pushed the button to open the inner doors.

"Captain," said Jeremiah Smith, his chestnut skin glowing, crossed Serenity's threshold. "How nice to see you again."

"What the _tyen shiao duh_ are you doing here?" Mal asked, trying to keep his amazement under control.

"I came to warn you. It has been brought to my attention that there are certain persons who are interested in acquiring –"

"They want the Tams?" Mal finished.

"How did you know that?"

"You're too late," Mal said bitterly. "They took them a few hours ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Smith sighed. "For many reasons, not least of which is that I still appear to owe you for saving my life. And believe me, that rankles."

"So you're more worried about a debt than a pair of innocent young people?" Hank put in. "You're insane."

"They are hardly innocent," Smith said. "The Tams are –"

A piercing scream filled the cargo bay.

"Kaylee," Zoe murmured.

Freya stepped forward quickly. "Is he still with you?"

Smith looked at her, his dark eyes almost calm. "You have need of a doctor?"

"We do."

Smith nodded. "Lee," he called, and the small man appeared from inside their vessel, guns in both hands. "Help them."

"Sir." He holstered his weapons inside his jacket and followed Freya.

"Captain, I think we need to talk," Smith said.

"Later," Mal replied, following the others.

"I don't think –"

Mal turned a furious glare on him. "What part of later didn't you understand?"

"In here," Freya said.

"I think I remember the way," Lee said, smiling slightly as he stepped down into the common area and crossed to the infirmary. Kaylee lay on the medbed, her legs drawn up, her face red, her hair wet with perspiration. Inara was standing next to her, radiating concern. "And this is …?" he asked.

"Kaylee," Inara said, gratefully. "And you're the doctor who saved Mal's life."

"That I am," Lee smiled. "Is the young lady full term?"

"All but a week," Freya said.

Kaylee moaned.

"Well, let's see what we can do about the pain first, shall we?" Lee crossed to the cupboards, opening them. "Ah. Good. Abaxomin." He filled a hypo.

"What's that?" Mal asked, stepping over the sill into the infirmary.

"A painkiller. 10cc will dull the pain but not interfere with the child's respiration when it's born."

"She," Kaylee ground out. "It's a girl."

Lee smiled kindly at her. "Of course. Now lie still." He injected the liquid into Kaylee's wrist. After only a moment the young mechanic seemed to relax a little. "Good, good," he said, patting her hand. "Just let it take effect."

He put on a pair of gloves and carefully rolled down the sheet from Kaylee's torso, then looked up at Mal. "I suggest you leave for a few moments," he said.

"Ain't going nowhere," Mal said shortly.

"Cap'n? Please?" Kaylee asked, still whimpering but in a lot less pain.

"You sure?"

"Please." She pulled the gown she was wearing as low as it would go.

"Okay. I'll just be outside, okay?"

"Thanks, Cap'n."

Mal backed out of the infirmary into the common area then turned to see the rest of his crew waiting, Smith standing to one side, his hands locked behind his back.

"She gonna be okay?" Jayne asked, trying to see past Mal.

"I'm sure she will," Mal said with a confidence he didn't feel.

"Can we trust him, sir?" Zoe asked.

"He saved your life," Hank put in. "That must count for something."

"Well, he's all we got," Mal said, shaking his head. "We'd better hope so."

Lee finished examining Kaylee as she lay whimpering. "You'll be fine," he said to the young woman, then stepped back to the doorway next to Freya, and Mal stepped back inside to hear.

"You're right," he said softly. "Breech. And not in any position to be born."

"Caesarean?"

"I don't think we have a choice." He nodded towards the scans on the wall. "There's foetal distress, and the mother is in danger too."

"Have you done any before?"

Lee shrugged. "Not since medical school. But it's a simple procedure." He went to return to the medbed, but Freya grabbed his arm.

"If you let either of them die, they will never find the pieces of your body," she said quietly.

"I don't intend to," he promised. "And you will be helping just to make sure." He pulled free and went back to Kaylee.

"You okay with this?" Mal asked quietly, looking into Freya's eyes.

"No. But he's right. We don't do this and they both could die."

"Okay. But keep an eye on him."

"Always, Mal."

---

The shutters were down on the windows, and the doors closed. Mal stood just inside the infirmary, told in no uncertain terms that if he has staying, he had to keep out of the way.

"Are you going to put her out?" Freya asked, tying the apron strings behind her and pulling on surgical gloves.

"No. Local only. A full anaesthetic could kill them both." Lee prepared four syringes. "If I ask for them, give them to me in this order," he said, indicating them on the tray.

"What are they?"

"A second dose of local anaesthetic. The antidote. Adrenalin. Neurostimulator."

Freya looked up at the last. "Neuro … why?"

"The baby's in distress. Severe distress. The trauma may be too much."

Freya nodded, the blood draining from her face. "Then we'd better do this."

---

Mal watched the preparations, saw Lee inject Kaylee with something, counting down until he laid his hand on her swollen belly, asking if she felt anything. When she said no, he picked up a scalpel and made a small cut, again asking if Kaylee was aware of any pain. A little blood welled from the nick as she again said no. Lee nodded, paused then leaned forward.

Mal could just see around Lee to what he was doing, watching him make the incision. He swallowed. He'd seen so many battlefield operations, even seen Kaylee before when Simon operated on her, but this … Two lives depended on this going smooth, and he had never felt so helpless.

"He was supposed to be here," Kaylee moaned, tears streaming into her hair. "He told me he'd be here."

"He would have if he could, sweetie," Inara said soothingly, not looking over the sheet suspended above Kaylee's midriff. "And he'll be here to see you both soon."

"I need him now!"

"Freya, pull," Lee said.

Freya, her face white, nodded.

---

Hank was pacing the deck. "This is awful," he said, rubbing his hands together to try and feel some warmth.

"I know," Zoe said. "But you won't do anyone any good if you wear out the floor."

He looked at her sharply, but dropped into one of the easy chairs.

"_Can_ we trust him?" Jayne asked, sitting on the gangway that ran around the infirmary. He couldn't see in, but that didn't matter to him. He just needed to be close.

"He saved the Cap's life," Zoe pointed out. "And Freya's keeping an eye on him."

"Wouldn't take much," the big man mumbled.

"No."

Smith stepped out of the common area and headed for the galley. For once in his life he felt unnecessary, like an intruder.

---

"What's going on?" Kaylee asked, trying to lift herself up enough to see over the sheet.

"Freya, the adrenalin," Lee ordered.

"What's happening?" Kaylee shouted. "Where's my baby?"

"She's having some problems breathing," Lee said. "Just lie still."

"No!" Kaylee wailed, Inara having to hold her down.

Mal moved forward, not caring as he watched Lee inject the small, still figure with a small amount of liquid. He could see the red wound of Kaylee's abdomen just beyond, but all his attention was on the baby, lying so quiet and blue. Lee pressed with his fingertips on her ribcage.

"Freya?" Mal said quietly. She shook her head, not taking her eyes off Kaylee's daughter.

Suddenly the baby jerked, and a moment later the infirmary was filled with the sound of a baby crying, the newborn wail of life.

Lee stood up, smiling, using the clamps to seal off the umbilical cord. "Cut here," he ordered and Freya, with hands that trembled ever so slightly, did as she was told.

Inara stroked Kaylee's forehead. "See?" she said, a grin on her face. "I told you everything would be all right."

"Where is she?" Kaylee said. "I want to see her."

"Here," Freya said, stepping past the sheet. "Meet your daughter." She laid the bundle on Kaylee's chest.

The young mechanic moved the blanket to one side to look for the first time on her child. "Oh," she said, crying even harder. "She's beautiful."

"That she is." Freya swallowed the lump in her throat as she looked down at the new mother. "That she is."

Mal, stepping forward so he could see better, watched Lee remove the placenta before expertly beginning to sew the incision in Kaylee's abdomen back up, neat stitches that would virtually disappear. "Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome," Lee said, not looking up.

"Cap'n?" Kaylee called. "Do you want to come and meet your newest crew member?"

Mal moved up the bed. "Hey," he said, looking down at mother and child, not being able to stop tears in his eyes.

"Mal, this is Bethany."

"Bethany?" Mal looked down at the little red face, all screwed up against the light. "That's a real nice name."

"We thought of it just a few days ago," Kaylee said, holding tightly to her baby. "You're gonna keep your promise, ain't you, captain?"

"I'll bring him home, Kaylee."

"Good." She held out Bethany. "Hold her a minute, would you?"

"Kaylee, I don't know -"

"Please? I ain't comfortable."

Mal tentatively leaned over, putting the crook of his left arm under the baby's head and supporting her on his arm. His other hand he wrapped around her. "Kaylee, I ain't too sure about this."

"Only a minute."

Mal stood up, looking down into the baby's face. "Bethany," he said, lifting a hand to run just the tip of his little finger down her cheek. "Welcome aboard."

Bethany reached out and grabbed his finger in her little hand, and the look on his face changed from hesitancy to wonder.

Freya backed away until she leaned against the wall, then slid down, her arms wrapped around herself as she watched Mal holding the new life, and she couldn't stop the pain of her own loss from welling up again.

Mal glanced over at her and immediately handed Bethany back to her mother. He crossed the infirmary in two strides and was down by Freya's side. "It's okay," he whispered, taking her into his arms. "I know."

Lee watched them as he finished applying the surgical dressing, wondering just what was going on.

"Aren't you going to let us in?" Hank called, banging on the door. "We heard a baby crying!"

---

Simon awoke in the dark, or at least he presumed it was dark unless he'd gone blind. He lifted one hand in front of his face but couldn't discern any difference. Only the blinding headache assured him he was actually awake.

He lay and listened for a while, unsure if his eyes were really open, but there was no sound beyond his own regular breathing. Then he remembered.

"Kaylee!" he shouted, sitting up, feeling around himself, all the while tormented by the last image he'd had of her, on the ground, knocked down by those men, in pain.

A light blazed above him, and he covered his eyes with his arm. A door opened somewhere, and hands grabbed him.

"Now, now, Dr Tam. No need to be getting all noisy," said a voice. "No-one around here who can help you anyway."

Hauled to his feet, Simon forced his eyes open. "_Tah muh duh_," he whispered as Eric Lon smiled at him.


	3. Chapter 3

"You're dead," Simon whispered, staring at the man he knew as Eric Lon.

"Well, I'd say that was pretty obvious I'm not. You might, however, be thinking of my brother." The man smiled. "Lots of people said we were so alike they couldn't tell us apart. But he died." The smile left his face. "As you seem to know. I wonder how that could be?" He stared at Simon, then his good humour returned. "My name is Mitchell, by the way. Eric was, for his sins, my twin."

"Where's River?" Simon demanded. "Where's my sister?"

"She's all right." Lon shrugged. "At the moment." He leaned on the wall. "Of course, I remember you from a long time ago. Eric was the doctor, but he used to come home, tell us all about his students, and you in particular. He was most annoyed when you decided to come over all noble and go after your sister. He almost felt you'd insulted him." He sighed. "Eric always did have a quick way with taking offence. Me, on the other hand, I like people."

"What have you done with her?"

"Now, you see, here I am, opening up myself to you, and all you can think about is your sister. And I told you, she's all right." He pushed away from the wall and came to stand close to Simon. "You're the one you should be worried about. You see, we know you've been trying to help her. Hell, you wouldn't be her brother if you didn't. But we need to know exactly what you've been doing. In order for us to reverse it, of course."

Simon struggled against the men holding him. "You're not going to hurt her!"

"Well, that depends." Lon bent forward. "My brother was the one with all the medical training, but I had the aptitude. I was more intelligent than him, had more drive … but a few little things in my past stopped me from being at MedAcad. Which was a pity, because I think I'd have made a much better doctor." He stood upright. "Eric was very sharing, though. Taught me a lot. Particularly how to get information out of recalcitrant gentlemen like yourself. And believe me, it won't be pleasant."

"I'm not going to help you!"

"Well, Dr Tam, I never considered that you would. At least willingly." Lon sighed again. "Just once, I'd like to come across someone willing to tell me what I want to know without all this dancing around. It would make such a change. Ah well." He nodded at the men holding Simon, who lifted the young man to his feet. "No time like the present, then!" He looked into Simon's furious eyes and sighed. "Any last requests?"

Simon bit his tongue, stopping all the swear words he'd learned since joining Serenity, and contented himself with glaring at Lon. As much as he wanted to know that Kaylee was safe, he was glad she wasn't here right now. There was no knowing what this man would have done to her to get the information. And he wasn't sure he wouldn't just have told Lon everything. "Get on with it," he spat.

---

"How did you know?" Mal asked, standing at the head of the table, his arms crossed.

"I have friends, captain," Smith said, sitting with his hands loosely clasped in front of him. "I may not yet be in a position of power, but I hear things." He looked up. "I came to warn you."

"Well, you were a mite late in that," Mal said.

"I could hardly send you a wave, could I?" the chestnut-coloured man said. "Every message is monitored somewhere, and if it's scrambled that sets off a whole new set of alarms. I had no choice other than to come in person to let you know the Tams were in danger. And I am sorry that I was too late."

Mal glared at him then exhaled. "Do you know who has them? Where they've taken them?"

"No, not at this present time." Smith looked apologetic.

"But the Alliance must have -" Hank began, but Smith interrupted.

"I don't think it is Alliance," he said.

"Not …" Mal stared at him. "Who else? Who the hell else would want them?"

"Captain, when the information passed my desk, I did some checking into Simon and River Tam. How he used his fortune to break his sister out of one of the Alliance's Academies. There were some sightings, not corroborated, on planets like Persephone, until an incident on Ariel. However, it appears they managed to escape when several Alliance personnel were killed." Smith looked at Mal. "Did you have anything to do with that?" he asked.

"Never killed anyone on Ariel," Mal stated.

"Hmmn. Then they vanished again, as did the bounty hunter sent to find them. There are rumours that they were involved with the Miranda incident, but again these have not been corroborated. Only your own part is known for certain, Captain Reynolds."

"This is ancient history."

"Perhaps. But history is something of a hobby with me, and the Tams are intriguing, don't you think? Death and destruction seem to follow in their wake. Perhaps you should leave them to their fate, rather than go chasing after them."

"Yet you still came to warn us."

"I did, didn't I?" Smith seemed almost surprised at his own actions. "When the information came to me that they had been identified as being on board a Firefly, I immediately thought of you, captain. I wonder why that was."

"Because I'm so pretty?"

Smith smiled briefly. "Perhaps. But perhaps it was more because I know the kind of man you are, the kind who won't leave people dying, who would rather die himself than see one of his crew ended." He glanced down at Freya sitting further along the table. "That is, after all, part of the reason why I'm here."

"Yes, but you still haven't explained why you don't think it's the Alliance who has them," Hank put in.

"As of twenty minutes ago, the warrants on the Tams are still valid, still outstanding," Smith said, turning his dark face on the pilot. "If it was Alliance, or bounty hunters employed by them, this would no longer be the case." He looked back at Mal. "We are, if nothing else, efficient." He shook his head in amusement. "You really shouldn't be travelling with wanted fugitives on board, captain. This was bound to happen at some point."

"Well, sometimes I ain't exactly known for my intelligence," Mal said, sitting down opposite Smith. "But if it ain't Alliance, who is it?"

"River Tam was one of the Academy's best subjects. Honed and trained to be whatever the Alliance wanted. Defence or offence, it made no difference. A psychic assassin, programmed to do whatever the Government wanted."

"Sound like you don't approve," Freya said at last.

"I don't," Smith said, surprising them. "Wars, if they are fought at all, should be in the open, not underhand with murderers hiding in the bushes. There's no honour in that."

"Wars ain't honourable, Jeremiah," Mal said. "They're vicious, bloody and painful. No-one ever really wins."

"Ever the philosopher," Smith said. "And I could have such arguments with you over this, but I am afraid that will have to wait. On the matter of River Tam, however, I can't help but agree with you. If she is reprogrammed, she could make war on people and they wouldn't know it until they were lying in their own blood."

"Reprogrammed?" Zoe said. "You mean brain-washed."

Smith shook his head sadly. "My dear, there would probably not be any need for that. The conditioning laid into her psyche goes way beyond any that you have seen. I doubt her brother, as smart as he is, had the knowledge to remove it all. It would only take the right amount of pressure in the right place …" Smith stopped.

"And someone took her to do just that?" Mal asked.

"I fear so." Smith gazed at him. "Such an assassin would be beyond price, and there are men out there who would pay fortunes for one like River Tam to do their bidding."

"For what?" Hank threw his hands into the air. "You make it sound like she's a machine that you just switch on."

"To these people that is exactly what she is. A tool. Something to use to gain what they want."

"And what do they want?" Mal asked quietly, holding his rage in check.

Smith smiled slightly. "I don't even know who _they_ are, captain. This is all conjecture. Based on some facts and a lot of supposition. But I don't _know_ anything."

"That isn't good enough," Freya said.

"You may have to accept that River and Simon Tam are lost to you."

"That ain't gonna –" "You think we're gonna –" "Are you totally out of your –" Voices talked over each other.

"No." Mal's voice cut through. "That'll never happen. They're my crew."

"You've lost crew before," Smith pointed out.

"Not this time." Mal leaned forward, his blue eyes cold as ice. "There's a little girl in that infirmary just come into this 'verse. And I promised her momma that she'd get to see her daddy. I ain't breaking that promise."

"I admire your resolve, captain. But this time you may –"

"There ain't gonna be a 'this time'." Mal's voice was calm, controlled, showing the total extent of his anger. "And you're gonna help."

"Me?" Smith leaned back in surprise. "How can I help? And, more to the point, why should I want to?"

"Because you were too late getting here to warn us. And because you hate owing me something. You help us find River and Simon, and you don't owe me a thing."

Smith gazed at him, saw the utter determination in his eyes. "Very well. I shall call in a few favours. See what I can find out. But I have to warn you, Captain Reynolds. It was only by sheer luck that this information came to me at all. The man who passed the details was found murdered, and it was only through a note he made that Lee managed to piece it together. There may _be_ nothing more to find out."

"They're out there somewhere," Mal said. "And someone knows where that is. Just need to push in the right place."

---

It was cold, but sweat was pouring off him, pooling beneath his legs and around his back. His head was held in some kind of vice, his arms cuffed. Not that he wanted to move. Every touch on his skin was like fire, and it was so much easier going with the embers than lighting new ones.

"We're not thugs, Dr Tam," Mitchell Lon said, standing next to him, a green lab coat protecting his clothes. "We don't do things like beat on you until you tell us what we want to know. For one thing it's messy, and for another it's all too easy for the subject to die." He picked up a hypo. "Although I'm sure at the moment that's what you'd prefer. I imagine you're rather uncomfortable about now." Leaning forward he looked into Simon's blue eyes. "Of course if you would like to be sensible …"

"_Chur ni duh_," Simon ground out, his mouth burning.

"Now, that isn't the attitude to have." Lon reached up, positioning the hypo against one of the openings in the head restraint. "But you'll get over it."

He pushed and Simon felt as if the needle had gone directly into his brain. His back arched as he screamed.

---

Kaylee had insisted, telling Lee she needed to be with her daughter somewhere quiet. He'd argued, but he didn't know how stubborn she could be when she wanted.

"You'd better let her," Zoe had said. "Otherwise she could make life uncomfortable for all of us."

Lee had stared at the little slip of a girl on the medbed, holding her baby and radiating obstinacy , and given in. "But you rest. Gentle exercise is good, but no going up and down stairs. And no forays into your engine room."

"Wasn't intending to," Kaylee assured him. "Just want to get to know Bethany."

So here she was, tucked up in Simon's room – their room now. For nearly three months he'd insisted she spend all her nights with him, and she'd got used to it. He said it was because he didn't want her going up and down that ladder, not in her condition, and he'd even encouraged her to make the room next to them into a nursery. Kaylee had decorated it while she could, with flowers painted all around the walls, and soft cushions and throws, mostly given to her by the others. Freya had even donated her brocade shawl, and that lay across the crib Jayne had made.

-

_Molten acid dripped into his brain, and he couldn't think, trying to see through eyelids squeezed tightly shut against the pain._

"_Dr Tam, if you relax it will be much better."_

_His muscles were so tense he thought they were going to burst through the skin, his fingernails digging so hard into the palms of his hands that he felt blood dripping._

"_Tell us what we want to know and we'll stop this. It's easy. Besides, there's no guarantee that what we plan will work anyway. So you telling us what you did for your sister won't be betrayal at all."_

_He couldn't breathe. Didn't want to. His chest felt like rock, hard and solid, crushing his lungs, his heart, squeezing the life out of him._

"_What did you give River Tam?"_

-

Kaylee had been so surprised when he brought it in from the cargo bay, as close to blushing as the big man ever got.

"My dad made one for me and Matty, and for … anyways, I thought you might like it." He gestured towards the carving on the end. "Moonbrain drew the pattern, I just carved it."

"It's beautiful," Simon had said, his conception of the mercenary as not having an artistic bone in his body shaken.

"Thank you!" Kaylee trilled, reaching up to place a kiss on his cheek.

"Yeah, well, just somethin' I can do that ain't involved with killing." He'd hurried off in case emotions were catching.

It now sat there, waiting for Bethany when her mother could bear to let her go.

-

_It would get worse. The small part of him that was still real, still functioning, looking dispassionately at the quivering wreck he had become, knew that what they using would continue to fire his pain receptors, causing the phantom agony that was killing him. Eventually something would short circuit and he would either have a stroke or possibly die, but that wouldn't be until after his teeth had shattered from the grinding, his jaw crack or bones dislocating from their sockets._

"_Dr Tam, your patient is River Tam. Report on what you used to control her psychosis."_

_The voice was like shards of ice jabbing through his ears and he tried to shut it out, but it was insistent._

"_Dr Tam."_

"_Perhaps we're coming at this from the wrong angle."_

"_Really? What do you suggest?"_

"_Dr Tam … who was the pregnant woman with you?"_

_No. Please. Not that._

-

There was another reason Simon had insisted she move into his room: it was also because he wanted to be close to the infirmary. He still hadn't told her what concerned him, not really, and she hadn't pushed. It wasn't that she didn't want to know, as much as she believed her baby was healthy. But the closer they had got to her delivery date, she knew he was still worrying.

She'd told him, before they went back down those mines to rescue Harry, that even if their daughter had problems they would still love her, and she meant it. She'd given him the opportunity to tell her, explained she knew, but he'd still managed to sidestep the issue. But he'd come back, and for that she was honestly grateful. Only now his daughter was lying in her arms, and he hadn't been there, and she was so afraid she was never going to see him again.

And Bethany was beautiful, with all her fingers and toes present and accounted for, and blue eyes that reminded her of Simon. She knew all babies had blue eyes at birth, but she hoped little Beth would keep them, so that when her father looked at her for the first time, he could see just how much she looked like him.

"Hey," Mal said from the doorway. "How are the pair of you? Though I can see little Bethany is looking as pretty as her mother."

"Thank's, Cap'n." She smiled up at him, then burst into tears.

"Hey, hey," he said, moving forward quickly to sit on the bed to comfort her. "What's all this?"

"He ain't seen her," Kaylee said, looking down at her daughter.

"He will, _xaio mei-mei_. He will."

"I can't take feeling like this, Cap'n," Kaylee said, turning her eyes to his. "I've got this beautiful little girl here, and I am happy, I really am, but there's a part of me that's missing. What do I do?"

"Trust me," Mal said, leaning forward to pull her into him so her head was on his shoulder. "You trust me, little Kaylee."

-

_Simon was standing on the edge of a cliff, wind whipping his hair around his face. He pushed it back with one hand, but it wouldn't stay put. He looked down, seeing clouds beneath him, and every so often the gleaming, glittering silver of a river far below._

"_Why don't you jump?" River said, stepping close to him, so close he could feel her hair as it moved in the gale. "I'll catch you."_

"_I can't," he said, staring down. "It's too far."_

"_Of course you can. Top three percent, Simon. And I'll be waiting down there for you."_

_He looked round at her, into her dark eyes, her smile." "I can't," he repeated._

"_Just let go, close your eyes and step forward. It's so easy."_

"_River …"_

_She laughed. "Come on," she said, gliding off the edge of the cliff and hanging in mid air. "See? It's easy. Come on."_

_Simon took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He stepped forward and fell forever._

"He's ready."


	4. Chapter 4

"Who was the woman with you?"

_Oh please forgive me._ "Kaylee."

"What is she to you?"

_Stop. Don't say anything._ "I love her."

"We should have taken her too. When we had the chance. He'd have talked a lot quicker."

"We're more sophisticated than that. Dr Tam, are you the father of her baby?"

_Bethany. God._ "Yes."

"Well, he's certainly responding."

"Mmn. And this may be too good an opportunity to miss. Dr Tam, what do you know of my brother's death?"

"Mitch –"

"He knows, Kyle. He knows what happened to Eric. And I'm going to find out."

"We don't have time for this!"

"We have all the time we need. Now, Dr Tam, do you know how my brother died?"

_Burning._ "Yes."

"Did you kill him?"

_Please_. "No."

"Then who did?"

_I can't._ "Mal."

"That would be Malcolm Reynolds. He owns that piece of _gos se_ he berths on."

"He killed Eric?"

_Bullet, blood, brains._ "Yes."

"Why?"

_Forgive me._ "Because of what he did."

"What did he do, Dr Tam?"

_Smell._ "He burned her."

"Who? Who?"

_Don't ask. Please don't ask._ "Freya Nordstrom."

"Why would he do that?"

Simon screamed, but the sound only filled his mind.

"He's fighting it."

"He has a strong will."

"Do you want to up the dosage?"

"Not yet. He's had more than the maximum Eric suggested in his notes, so I think we'd better hold fire on that for the moment. Much more and he could end up comatose, even brain dead. His sister is going to make us a lot of money, but I'm sure the Alliance will pay handsomely for the good doctor's return."

"And if we don't get what we want from him?"

"We will. Now, Dr Tam. Where were we?"

---

"Is Bethany all right?" Freya asked.

Lee looked up in surprise at the woman standing in the doorway to the galley. "Why shouldn't she be?" He put down his mug of coffee. "She got through the birth trauma extremely well."

"I mean otherwise. Hearing, sight, that sort of thing."

"From what I can see." He gazed at her. "Is there some reason she might suffer from any problems?"

Freya bit her lip, stepping down into the dining area. "It's just … did Simon make any notes?"

"Dr Tam? Yes. But the birth was comparatively straightforward so I've not –"

"You should."

"Freya, just tell me."

Freya took a deep breath and sat down opposite him. "Kaylee was exposed to the air down the mines on Tetris when she was less than three months pregnant."

Lee's brows went up. "Tetris? Then she's lucky to have survived."

"Yes, we were," Freya said.

"You were there too?"

Freya nodded. "Not something I care to repeat," she said, remembering the convulsions that had torn through her, the pain in her lungs and brain, the numbness that had finally and gratefully overtaken her.

"And you say Kaylee was pregnant at the time?"

"Yes."

"No wonder Dr Tam was worried."

"Can you … " Freya paused. "Could you speak to Kaylee? Get her to let you check?"

"Well, I could do tests. Nothing invasive, just some passive scans that could rule out most problems."

"I'd be grateful."

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"

"I …" Freya swallowed. "Just do it, would you?"

"Of course." He pushed the mug away from him. "Have either of you been checked for any long term damage yourselves?" he asked.

"Simon made sure we were okay."

"Good. Because what I've heard of Tetris has always suggested problems with conception if left untreated."

Freya stood up, giving a bark of laughter totally lacking in humour. "No need to worry about that, Lee," she said, walking towards the door. "Just take a look at Bethany."

---

"Sir, do we really think this is a good idea?" Zoe asked, standing close to her captain as he stared out into the black. Hank glanced up at her.

"They're crew, Zoe. Family. You think I'm gonna go tell that girl down in the infirmary the man she loves is gone just 'cause we're afraid?"

"I didn't mean that, sir. But trusting Smith … sir, he's Alliance."

Mal turned to look at her. "I know, Zoe. And that worries me. But I ain't got another notion of how to deal with this. None of our regular contacts have heard a thing, or if they have they ain't telling." He shook his head. "Frey said she wasn't gonna let Kaylee or the baby die. Well, I feel the same about River and Simon."

"We all do, sir. But Smith _is _Alliance. This could be a trap."

"Well, we've got out of those before. 'Sides, if they wanted us, why just go for Simon and the girl?" Mal looked pensive. "They had time to take the rest of us, but they didn't even try. No. As much as I hate to say it, I think Smith's right."

"I agree, sir," Zoe said unexpectedly. "But is this the right way to go about getting them back?"

"You come up with a better way, you let me know. Hell, _any_ other way." He glanced down at Hank then back to his first mate. "You got one? Either of you?"

"No, sir," Zoe said.

"Hey, I just fly the boat," Hank said. He looked at Zoe. "But if you want my opinion, for what it's worth I think Mal's right. Simon and River _are_ family. And I ain't got enough left of that to lose a couple." He met Zoe's gaze and coloured a little but held his ground. "Well, you asked."

Mal's lips twitched a little. "I did. And thanks."

"You're welcome," Hank said, turning back to the controls.

The com crackled. "Captain, could you join me in your cargo bay?" Smith's voice resonated in the small room.

Mal looked at his two crew members then walked off the bridge.

"Sorry," Hank said.

Zoe looked back at him. "I'm not saying he's wrong. Just that there might be another way."

"Trouble is, I don't think there is." Hank tried a half-smile.

"That's the problem," Zoe said. "And that's got me worried." She followed her captain.

---

"Enough money greases many palms," Smith said, looking up at them somewhat smugly.

"I gather you've found something?" Mal asked, hurrying down the stairs.

"How gracious you are in your thanks," Smith added sardonically. "But yes, I have. They're on a small vessel heading for Osiris."

"The Core?" Zoe put in, glancing at Mal. "I thought you said it wasn't Alliance."

"It isn't. It's a man called Lon."

Mal jerked. "Lon? Eric Lon?"

"No. His brother, I believe. Mitchell Lon." Smith looked closely at the captain of Serenity. "Why?"

"We've had … dealings with that family before," Zoe answered.

"What sort of –"

Mal interrupted. "How far ahead of us are they?"

"I don't know, captain." Some of Smith's arrogance seemed to dissipate. "I'm trying to get their pulse beacon code, but so far I'm not having any luck."

"Zoe," Mal commanded, and she headed for the com. "You're sure about it being Lon?" he asked Smith.

"That part is certain."

"Hank, set course for Osiris," Zoe said into the com.

"Osiris? Which part?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Oh. We chasing the bad guys?" he asked.

"No. We're going to catch them."

---

Mal climbed slowly down the ladder into their bunk. Freya was lying on the bed, staring into the ceiling.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Shiny."

"Can you try saying that with a bit more conviction? 'Cause it sounded kinda lame to me."

She half-smiled and looked across at him. "I'm fine. Honestly."

"Thinking about Bethany?"

Her eyes returned to scrutinising the superstructure. "A bit."

He sat down on the bunk next to her, his hip pressing into her thigh. "And Alice?"

This time she just nodded, not letting herself speak.

Mal took her hand, pressing it between his own. "Kaylee was asking when you were going to go in to see her."

"I did!" Freya said indignantly, turning her head so she could look at him. "I was there when Bethany was born, remember?"

"That wasn't what she meant." He stroked her cheek. "It hurts, doesn't it? Seeing them?"

"I just …" She looked away but he wasn't surprised to see a tear roll down her cheek into her hair. "I should be getting fat by now. Five months, Mal. Over half way. I should be feeling her kicking soon."

"Frey …"

"When does it stop hurting?" she asked, looking at him.

"I don't know. When it does I'll let you know." He pulled her over so she lay in his lap, her arms wrapped around his waist. "Frey … I have to … there's something you need to know."

"What?" she asked, not moving, just taking in his heat, his comfort.

"Jeremiah Smith found out who took Simon and River."

Her head snapped up. "Then we know where they are?"

"More or less. We're headed there now."

The look on his face was enough to make her sit up. "What? What is it, Mal?"

He took a deep breath. "The man who kidnapped them – it's Mitchell Lon."

Freya's face blanched. "What?" she whispered.

Mal felt her muscles tensing, her hand gripping his tightly. "Eric Lon's brother."

Freya let go and scuttled to the far end of the bunk, shaking her head. "He's dead," she said softly, shaking her head. "You told me he was dead."

"He is, Frey. I killed him. I promise you. He can't hurt you any more." He was shaken by the look in her eyes, one he'd seen in River's so often, when she was at her most desolate. "Frey. Listen to me. This isn't him."

Freya nodded slowly. "I know. His brother."

Mal held out his arms. "He won't hurt you either."

She gazed at him, then slid back into his embrace. "I'm sorry. I just …"

"I know, my love. I know." He held her close.

---

"What was your treatment of the subject River Tam, doctor? What did you give her?" Mitchell Lon looked at the young man sitting in the chair, so still now, so passive. His skin was grey, sweaty, and his eyes sightless.

"Anti-psychotics." Simon's voice was dull, expressionless.

"Did they work?"

"Her system eventually broke them all down."

Lon's associate nodded enthusiastically. "He's being very helpful."

"I told you it would work. Eric knew what he was doing." Lon grinned.

"Yea for your dead brother, then."

Lon glared at him. "If you don't stop being facetious, you'll be the next one in this chair, Kyle."

"Sorry, I'm sure." He backed down.

"_If_ we can get back to the matter in hand? Thank you." Lon turned back to the man in the chair. "Dr Tam. Name the drugs."

"Hyprobrovin. Gloxacavin. Redion18B."

"Common enough. Go on."

Didroethylone. Mandrin."

"Less common. And expensive. Where did you get these, Dr Tam?"

"Ariel."

Kyle was fidgeting. "Does it matter, Mitch?"

"I guess not. Dr Tam. What was your latest medication?"

"Rotaxin."

"How much are you prescribing currently?"

"None."

"What?" Lon asked, glancing at Kyle.

"You sure he isn't lying?"

"He can't. Look at those readings," Lon insisted, tapping the screen. "Doctor, are you saying your sister is no longer medicated?"

"Yes."

Lon glanced towards the other room. "Kyle, how much sedation do we have her under?"

"Top whack," the other man confirmed. "Like you told me."

"Keep it there." Lon looked at the young doctor. "Simon, why isn't your sister medicated?" he asked.

"She doesn't need it."

"Why the hell not?" Kyle asked.

"Shut up. You don't know the right questions to ask," Lon told him shortly. "He can only answer direct queries, not volunteer information." He waved him to silence, stemming further comment. "Doctor, what was the turning point for your sister's – for River Tam's condition?"

"Miranda."

"Mir –"

"That's it," Lon interrupted, a smile growing on his face. "That's the key. Kyle, find that stream broadwaved about Miranda. That's what will work – River Tam will be cured of the cure."


	5. Chapter 5

"Freya?" Lee stood in the doorway to shuttle two.

"Just getting things ready," Freya said, strapping down some of the boxes. "Don't quite know what we'll have to do when we catch up with them."

"I've just examined the baby. Bethany."

She stopped, turning slowly to look over at him. "And?"

"She's fine." Lee watched her relax a little.

"How fine?"

"Everything I can check for is normal. She's a perfectly healthy little girl."

Her face broke into a smile. "Thank God."

"No, thank your Dr Tam. I checked the records, as you suggested. You know he's been medicating her? Kaylee, I mean."

The smile faded a little. "No. What kind of medication?"

"Immuno-boosters. Infection suppressants." Lee shrugged. "He was careful, nothing that could harm the baby, but enough that he improved her chances."

"Did Kaylee know?"

"Yes, I did." Kaylee stood in the doorway to the shuttle, leaning on the frame.

"_Mei-mei_!" Freya said, shocked. She moved past Lee to support her, bringing her inside to sit down. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I told you not to climb stairs," Lee reproved.

Kaylee looked up at him, her face somewhat pale. "I figured who it was, asked you to check Bethany." She smiled at Freya. "The menfolk, well, it wouldn't occur to them. And Zoe and Inara, they've been talking to me, so that left you."

"I just thought …" She stopped and sat down next to the younger woman. "I wanted to know she was okay."

"I know." Kaylee took her hand, squeezing gently. "And I know why you ain't been to see us, visit a while. I'm sorry, Frey. I wish you were still waiting on the birth of your own baby, and I can only guess at how hard it's been for you."

"Kaylee, _mei-mei_, it isn't your fault."

"No. It ain't anyone's."

"Am I missing something here?" Lee asked, looking from one to the other.

"I … I had a miscarriage," Freya said, the words catching in her throat. "A couple of months ago."

"There was an accident," Kaylee explained. "Wasn't no-one's fault, but seeing Bethany …" She looked back at Freya. "But you can't hate her that much – you wanted to know she was okay."

"Kaylee, I don't hate her at all!" Freya insisted, then saw the sweet smile on the mechanic's lips and had to laugh herself. "You … already know that."

"Of course I do." She leaned into the older woman. "And Bethany's fine. Not just from what Mr Lee here checked over, but I knew anyway. River told me. Told us."

"River?"

"Before she and Simon got took. Told us Bethany was healthy and happy." Kaylee's smile was now sad. "Never occurred to me to ask her."

"Me neither." Freya looked around. "Where is she, by the way?"

"Her Uncle Jayne's looking after her," Kaylee said, the smile widening into a grin. "Gotta get used to it," she added. "He's gonna be doing a lot of it when Simon gets back."

"About that," Freya began. "You knew he was medicating you?"

Kaylee nodded. "Told me it was vitamins, minerals. And I guess some of it probably was. But I can do research on the Cortex much as the next person. Much as I know you did." Freya blushed a little. "I knew what could happen, so I didn't ask, didn't want to know too much." She smiled. "And everything's shiny."

"Kaylee," Freya said, shaking her head and smiling herself, "I don't know how you do it. Seeing the good side in most things."

"Not everything," Kaylee amended. "There ain't nothing good in Simon and River being taken."

"We'll get them back," Freya said.

"I know. Mal promised."

"And he doesn't break his promises." They shared a knowing look.

"By the way, am I gonna get this post-birth depression thing?" Kaylee asked Lee.

"Not everyone gets it," he assured her, a slight smile on his impassive face.

"Pity. Could just do with throwing something at the wall about now."

"I'll duck." He leaned forward, putting his hands under her arms. "We'd better get you back to your room."

"Prob'ly a good idea," she agreed. "Jayne's probably ready for some post-birth depression of his own about now."

---

River couldn't move. Nothing responded when she tried to lift a hand, open an eyelid, even just twitch. She couldn't even feel. Her brain was all there was, floating naked in a sea of black nothingness. She reached out, trying to find someone else, anyone, just to prove that she was still alive. But it was like pushing at a wall of cottonwool, with the dim sparks of other consciousness just out of reach beyond it.

Something loomed on the horizon, or where the horizon would be if there was actually anything there. It was a bright light, heading towards her, a pinpoint that became a sun as it enveloped her, burning away her skin, her flesh, until she was but a collection of dust blown away on the wind.

"Is it connected?"

"Directly into her visual cortex. She can't help see it."

"And this is going to work?"

"My brother knew more about breaking people with drugs, getting them chemically dependent and then taking them away. He knew something about programming those people afterwards, making them do what he wanted. But when it came to pain, he was an amateur. This girl is psychic. An assassin. She might look like she'll blow away in the first strong wind, but she's been honed by the Alliance. You think they'd spend all that time and effort on someone who'd just give up at the first hint of hurt?"

"I guess not."

"I've studied the psyche for a long time. Had more than my fair share of failures, I'll admit, but I've refined my own techniques. And she will go back. Back to what she was, maybe further. And she'll do what I say."

"So you're just going to sell her to the highest bidder?"

"Once she's proved herself, taken the target out, we can do what we want. Maybe just hire her out."

"She's dangerous, you know that."

"After this, only to those we choose."

The sun faded and her dust coalesced into form, first marrow, then bones, veins, tendons, ligaments, tissue, flesh, skin … eyes last of all. Eyes that saw, that she wanted to rip from their sockets, dash screaming onto the ground and stamp into mush, but still _saw _…

"_It's the Pax. The G-32 paxilon hydrochlorate that we added to the air processors –"_

Image after image, picture laid on picture of decayed human beings, some still with flesh attached to their bones, others almost complete …

"_They stopped going to work, stopped breeding … talking … eating … There's thirty million people here, and they all just let themselves die._"

People, so many people, all calling out with no voices …

"_I have to be quick. About a tenth of one percent of the population had the opposite reaction to the Pax. Their aggressor response increased beyond madness. They've become – They've killed most of us – not just killed, they've done – things._"

Tearing, cutting, raping, consuming …

Over and over. The face of the woman, the doctor, her words burning into her brain, then the Reaver, taking her down, doing things, eating her while she still lived …

The bodies, the faces, all dead, a world full of death, of life that should be dead, mutilating, slashing, hurting …

The Reaver, taking the doctor down, pulling the skin from her body, tearing her clothes …

So many stones, lying down to sleep, never getting up, just waiting to die …

The Reaver, taking the doctor down, killing her … turning to the girl who stood and watched, her feet bare, her long black hair hanging around her face, reaching for her …

River Tam screamed.

---

Osiris hung in the sky like a big blue jewel, something Inara might wear around her neck. As it got closer they could make out continents, ice caps, some huge weather systems.

"Mal, there's a lot of traffic out there."

"What kind?"

Hank breathed out noisily, examining the screen again. "Lot of private craft, some federal. There's a cruiser far side, too."

"Don't want to run afoul of that," Mal muttered. "Can you pick out the one we want?"

"Not without the code. It'd be guesswork."

"We saw their shuttle, but not the main craft." He hit the back of Hank's chair with his fist. "_Tah muh duh hundan._"

"Don't give up quite so easily, captain," Smith said from the doorway.

"Ain't giving up," Mal said, turning to face him. "We have to board every one of those ships, we will."

"That won't be necessary." Smith stepped forward and held out a wafer. "The transponder code. Will that work?"

Hank's face lit up, grabbing the thin strip of multiplas. "Work a treat!" he said grinning.

Smith looked around him as Hank fed the details into their onboard. "I'm not surprised you don't let people up here, captain," he said. "I _am_ surprised that you don't fall apart."

"She's a good boat," Mal said, crossing his arms in his usual defensive position. "Better yet, she's _my_ boat, so I'll thank you to keep your opinions to your own self."

"Of course." Smith smiled. "She's probably the most important thing in your life, isn't she?"

"Not quite," Mal said.

"Got it!" Hank said. "A small Baden-class. Not too far."

"Are they moving?"

"No. Hanging still."

"Okay, get as close as –"

The console in front of Hank beeped, and he checked. "_Wuh de mah_," he breathed. "Mal, we got a Federal patrol boat asking what we're doing here."

Smith stepped back. "I can't be seen to be here."

"Can you make something up?" Mal asked, ignoring the older man.

"I can try." Hank took a deep breath and activated the vid. "This is Firefly Serenity. How can we help you?"

A man in a peaked cap appeared, looking as if he had never smiled in his life. "Where's your captain?"

"He's kinda busy right now, but I'm the pilot. Won't I do?"

"You do not have permission to be in orbit around Osiris. What is the purpose of your visit?"

"We … uh … we're not planning to land. But we developed a bit of engine trouble a ways out, and we needed to fix it. Fact, that's where the Cap is now, trying to coddle it long enough so we can park to mend said engine. Kinda thought we might lay here for a while 'til we do. Wouldn't want to be too far from civilisation if that piece of _luh suh_ does decide to die on us. Too many pirates out there, know what I mean?" He grinned.

"Firefly Serenity, hold your position." The screen went dark.

"Probably deciding whether to blow us out of the sky right away, or wait until later," Hank murmured. "Solve all our problems in one fell swoop."

"That's the kind of problem solving I don't exactly want to be a part of," Mal said, equally quietly.

The vid shimmered back to life. "Firefly Serenity, you have permission to orbit Osiris for ten hours. If you require longer, contact us." And he was gone.

Mal exhaled. "Good work."

"Thanks." Hank flashed him a quick grin. "But they'll be keeping an eye on us – won't be able to launch the shuttle."

"Yeah." Mal rubbed his hand through his hair. "Still, that ain't gonna be too much of a problem." He reached up to the comlink, pressing the button. "Zoe? Prep the suits."


	6. Chapter 6

Mal and Zoe climbed out of the airlock and walked along Serenity's hull towards the other ship, coming towards them pretty fast.

"Sir, this is going to be tricky," Zoe said. "If we don't get this right –"

"It'll be a long walk home." Mal lifted the grappler he held. "Just keep your fingers crossed."

"In a space suit, sir?"

Mal didn't dignify that with an answer, just put the grappler to his shoulder and aimed carefully for the side of the other vessel, holding his breath quite unnecessarily as he steadied himself, then fired. The grappler flew straight out, hitting the skin of the other ship, the magnetic seal gripping hard.

"Nice shot, sir," Zoe said.

"Thanks. Now hold on." He waited for Zoe to grab hold of the grappler unit, then activated the winch mechanism. He felt his boots leave Serenity, and they moved silently through space.

"Think it'll hold with both of us?" Zoe asked.

He looked at his first mate through the faceplates. "You ask that now?" he said.

"Would it have made any difference if I'd asked earlier, sir?"

He shook his head and looked back up at the fast approaching ship. "Hold on," he said.

The winch stopped and their momentum carried them forward a little until their feet made contact with the outer hull, their magnetic boots sticking so they could stand up. "Come on," Mal said quietly.

Zoe opened the airlock outer door and they slid inside, waiting for the pressure to equalise. The light turned from red to green, and Mal gently, as quietly as he could, opened the door. No-one was outside, but that didn't mean they hadn't noticed an unauthorised entry. Quickly they stepped out into the corridor, stripping off gloves and helmets, taking their guns from leg pouches.

Silently Mal pointed down the corridor to the left and Zoe nodded, heading that way. Mal went down to the right, checking each room as he came to it. He turned the corner, very carefully, finding himself in the galley, and at the far end a room not unlike the common area on his own boat. A man stood outside a door, heavily armed and looking like he thought with his gun, but that didn't mean he was any the less dangerous. Luckily he was looking away from Mal, glaring through a small glass panel in the door.

"He dead yet?" Mal asked conversationally.

The man turned, about to answer, then his eyes widened in surprise at seeing someone in an EVA suit, only he didn't have much chance to think of anything else with Mal's gun coming down on his head like that. He crumpled to the floor as Zoe appeared at the other entrance.

Mal stepped over him and peered in through the door. "Shit." He tried the handle but it was locked. "Zoe, see if he has a key."

His first mate nodded, going through the unconscious man's pockets as Mal continued to look through the door.

"Is it Simon?" she asked.

"What's left of him," Mal replied cryptically, earning a sharp look.

She handed him a key and he put it into the lock, the metal slipping a little in his suddenly damp fingers. The door swung smoothly, and more importantly silently, open. Mal hurried inside, Zoe waiting at the doorway, her gun ready.

"Simon!" Mal leaned over as much as his suit would allow. "Simon!" he repeated, shaking the young man by the shoulder. "Zoe, we need that Lee over here now."

"Is he alive?"

"He's breathing, if that's what you mean." Mal looked down at the doctor, his eyes staring sightlessly, his body still sitting in the chair.

"Sir, someone's coming," Zoe murmured.

"Well, no point in hiding now," he said, standing up and joining her. "Better go make sure they ain't gonna fire on my boat."

"And Simon?"

Mal glanced back, his face carefully blank. "I don't think he's going anywhere."

Apart from the man Mal had cold-cocked, they only found three others, two of whom tried to fight and were cut down, while the third ran. "Find him," Mal ordered. "Don't want him doing anything we can't deal with."

Zoe nodded and moved off.

Struggling out of his suit, Mal leaned over the main bridge console, getting a feel for the new vessel, then activated the vid. Hank appeared, looking relieved.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Shiny. Bring Serenity in."

"What about the Feds?" Hank asked, his concern returning.

"We need Lee."

"You found Simon and River?"

"You got that half right."

"Activate their docking mechanism," Hank said, letting his professionalism take over.

Mal stared at the board. "I ain't exactly sure –" Then something blinked at him. "Got it."

"We're coming in."

Mal nodded and headed off the bridge. Movement to his left had him raising his gun, but it was only Zoe. "Find him?"

"Not yet, sir," she admitted. "But this place is like a warren. It'll take more people to be sure."

"Fine. Hank's locking on –" A slight vibration indicated this was in progress. "Freya and Jayne'll help."

They headed towards the main docking bay, where the doors were already opening. Jayne was first through, Vera at the ready.

"We got them?" he asked.

Mal shook his head. "Where's Lee?"

"Grabbing some med gear. One of 'em hurt?" the big mercenary asked.

"There's a man loose still, take Freya and –"

Jayne grabbed Mal's arm. "Gorramit, Mal! What the _tyen shiao duh_ is going on?"

Mal glared at him until he let go. "Simon's here. Haven't found River. Okay?"

Jayne backed down a little. "Okay." He glanced behind him as Freya joined them. "Look for moonbrain too, while we're about it," he added, jogging off.

Freya looked at Mal before following.

"You have need of my services?" Lee asked, stepping through the door with Hank to his back.

"We do." Mal looked at his pilot. "Get to the bridge, keep the Feds off us. And it looks like the shuttle's gone. See if you can find out where."

"On it, Mal," Hank said, hurrying towards the stairs.

"This way," Mal ordered, leading the other man back towards the room.

"No wonder you have a resident doctor on board," Lee said in passing. "You certainly do seem to need one."

"Just once, just once I'd like to have a month … hell, not even that, maybe just a week … without something going wrong," Mal muttered.

"I doubt that's likely, captain," Lee said.

"I conjure you're right in that."

---

"Simon! Simon!"

The voice was insistent, and just wouldn't do away. He wanted to tell his mother that he had another ten minutes yet before it was time to get up and go to school, or at least five. He was warm and comfortable, laying here under the covers, his head tucked down in the slightly airless cocoon he'd made.

Only it wasn't warm. Or comfortable. And his head was screaming with pain.

"What've they used on him?"

"What haven't they?"

"Can you bring him round?"

"Might be better if we don't until he's back on board. He'll be disoriented at the very least. Maybe even psychotic."

"They might have sent him crazy?"

"Captain, these drugs are designed to do just that. Hold someone at the point of insanity so they tell you exactly what you want to hear."

"You think he did?"

_I didn't tell anyone anything_, he wanted to say. _They didn't break me. Didn't make me give you all up. Leave me alone_, he needed to yell at them.

"Lee, we can't find River. That means they've taken her someplace else, and he might know where. Bring him around."

"If you insist. I have something that should at least begin to counteract the –"

"Just do it."

An insect stung his arm, leaving a cold trail of poison seeping through his veins. He wanted to bat it away, squash it, but he couldn't move.

"What's that on his forehead?"

"Needle marks. To be effective the drugs are injected directly into the brain."

"_Tah muh duh_."

_Leave me alone. You can't do anything to help me, _he wanted to say_. Let me die in peace._

"Is he dying?"

"Captain, we all die. That's what it means to be human."

"I can't be having philosophy at a time like this. So either you answer my perfectly simple and straightforward question, or I shoot you now."

"No."

"No what?"

"No, he's not going to die right away."

"Shut up!" he screamed, but it came out as a whisper.

"Simon?"

He opened his eyes and a face swam in front of him. "Go away," he said weakly. "I'm trying to die here."

"No you ain't," the face said, showing an alarming number of teeth. "They send you crazy?"

"Where's River?" he asked, trying to focus.

"Well, that was kinda the question we were about to ask."

Simon stared at the face, then passed out.

Mal looked at Lee. "I guess you'd better get him back to Serenity."

"I think I should."

---

"Vessel Artemis. You have an unauthorised lock-on. Do you need assistance?" It sounded like the Fed from earlier.

Hank sat down quickly in the pilot's chair, activating the com. "Thank you, but no. We've offered our assistance to this ship, and they have locked onto us in order for our engineer to repair their equipment."

"Vessel Artemis. Acknowledged." The com went dead.

"They coming after us?" Mal asked behind him.

"Nope." He glanced over his shoulder. "So we get them?"

"Simon's in our infirmary, Lee's with him."

"How's Kaylee?"

"Fretting." Mal looked out into the sky. "You got anywhere with that shuttle destination?"

"Still – damn." Hank sounded about as despondent as he ever had.

"What?"

"I've been trying to track it, but there's something wrong with the system. I think someone got to it before I could."

"_Ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng_. I'll bet it was that bastard that's hiding from us," Mal said bitterly. "Let's just hope one of those other _hundans_'re still alive enough to question." He hurried off the bridge.

Hank got to his feet, following, a little slower than his captain as he tried to adjust the gunbelt around his hips. He hated the damn thing, but Mal wasn't going to let him anywhere near a job without one. And he wanted to be a part of the crew so much, and not just to impress Zoe.

He finally felt it more comfortable, and looked up. "What the –"

It hit him in the chest, making him stagger a little. He saw Freya whip out from a side door, using her speed to crash the other man into the wall, the gun flying from his fingers. Hank looked down, feeling gingerly.

"Hank?" Freya called. "He hit you?"

He lifted his hands away, and realised that blood was hot, sticky and very, very red. "I think he did." His legs suddenly no longer belonged to him and he sank to the floor, leaning against the bulkhead.

"Mal!" Freya yelled, lifting her gun and hitting the man she held on the side of the head, knocking him unconscious. She dropped him unceremoniously to the floor then ran to Hank.

Mal turned the corner, his gun out. "Heard shots. What …_tzao gao._"

"Get Lee."

Mal looked at Freya opening Hank's blood-soaked shirt and ran back the way he'd come, passing Zoe and Jayne.

"Someone shooting?" Jayne asked, then found himself pushed out of the way by Serenity's first mate.

"Hank?" she said, joining Freya.

"Hey," the pilot managed to say, forcing a smile.

"Don't talk," Freya said, putting pressure on the wound. Hank groaned.

"Why the hell weren't you wearing the armour I got you?" Zoe demanded.

"You got him armour?" Jayne asked, leaning on the door, resting one foot on the man who'd shot Hank.

"He's a pilot, Jayne. Not a gunfighter."

"Looks like he might be something else besides," the big man pointed out, watching Zoe carefully, noting the concern on her face, more concern than she'd ever shown over him getting hurt.

"Why don't you just help us get him back to Serenity?" Zoe said, turning a hard look on him.

"Because ya didn't ask." Jayne slung Vera across his back and moved forward, getting his big hands under Hank's arms and lifting him up. Zoe took his legs.

"Frey?" she asked.

The other woman shook her head. "I'll deal with this one," she said.

"There's another, deck below. Mal hit him. He's outside the room they where they were holding Simon."

"I'll find him. Go."

Zoe nodded and they moved off down the corridor, Hank groaning slightly.

---

Mal ran into the infirmary. "Lee, we got another patient coming for you," he said without preamble. "Hank's gotten himself a little shot."

Lee looked up from Simon, who appeared to be conscious. "Help me get this young man onto the other bed."

Mal nodded, and between them they lifted Simon to his feet, moving him carefully across to the counter. "You okay?" he asked, looking into the young doctor's pale, sweaty face.

"I'm alive," Simon managed to say, sitting on the counter. "Not sure if I can say I'm okay."

"He came round a few minutes ago," Lee explained. "He's still groggy."

"That's one way of putting it," Simon said. He looked up at Mal. "Did I hear you right? Hank's been shot?"

"Got in the way of a bullet."

"Then I'd better –"

"No," Mal said, gently but firmly putting his hand in the young man's chest and pushing him back. "You're in no fit state."

"I can deal with this," Lee said, picking up his medbag again. He grinned. "No rest for the wicked," he added. "At least, not on this boat."

Mal led the way out of the infirmary, and Simon sat back, his head against the cool wall. There was so much fog in his mind, so much confusion … all he could remember was … He sat forward, his eyes wide.

---

Mal stopped, staring into the other ship. Jayne and Zoe were carrying Hank. "That a good idea?" he asked. "Should you be moving him?"

"Weren't my idea, Mal," Jayne put in quickly.

"I don't think the bullet hit anything vital," Zoe said, lifting Hank carefully through the bay door.

"Yeah, it did," Hank groaned. "Me."

Lee, behind Mal, smiled. He took a step forward, then his head snapped back. The sound of a gunshot echoed through the bay. Mal whirled, his gun clearing its holster and firing almost without conscious thought, and the man on the catwalk fell soundlessly to the cargo bay floor. Only it wasn't soundlessly when he hit like a bag of wet bones.

"Mal," Jayne said quietly, still holding Hank.

Mal turned back and looked at the big man, then down. Lee lay on the deck, not moving. Not breathing. Gone from being a walking, talking human being to a corpse in less than a split, his head leaking blood and matter onto the metal. An idle thought crossed his mind that it wasn't the first time. Mal looked across at the other body.

"It was the man I hit," he said, his voice almost wondering. "Must have come to, found his way on board and was waiting for us."

"Sir, Hank needs a doctor," Zoe said insistently.

Mal shook himself. "It'll have to be Simon."

"Is he in any fit state to do anything?" Jayne asked, feeling his muscles beginning to ache from holding Hank up for so long.

"Damn well better." He led the way towards the infirmary.


	7. Chapter 7

"What's going on?" Smith said, stepping down into the cargo bay from the common area. Then he saw his man on the floor. "Lee?"

"Yeah." Mal looked apologetic. "My fault."

Smith's eyes widened. "You shot him?"

"No. But it's still my fault he's dead." He pushed Smith out of the way. "Best be moving yourself, got a man needs help here."

Simon was leaning on the doorway to the infirmary. "I heard a gunshot," he said, holding onto the wall.

"Lee's dead," Zoe said quickly, carrying Hank past him.

"He's …" Simon couldn't focus on the words.

"It's up to you," Mal said.

"Mal, I …"

"We don't have a choice. Hank needs a doc, fast, and you're it."

Simon looked down at his hands, the weaves on the cuts from his nails in his palms, the slight tremor in his muscles. "I'll need help."

"You got it."

"Dope him."

Mal nodded and loaded a hypo. As he passed it to Zoe, Freya ran into the infirmary.

"How is he?" she asked, glancing at Hank as he slipped into unconsciousness.

"Simon's going to …" Mal glanced across at the young man, pulling on a pair of gloves. "I don't know, Frey."

"What happened to Lee?" She glanced over her shoulder. "I saw …"

"My fault," Mal admitted. "I should have made sure the man I hit was down."

"Mal …"

The captain of Serenity shook his head. Nothing she could say was going to help, not right now. "Frey, Hank didn't have time to figure out where the shuttle went. Can you see what you can do?"

Freya nodded. "I'll get right onto it." She put her hand on his arm and squeezed gently. "Be right back," she said, then strode back towards the Artemis.

---

Simon picked up the extractor, leaning forward to start probing the wound, then paused, trying to breathe deeply, to control the turmoil inside him.

Zoe looked at him, his face paler than usual, the tremble in his hand. "Simon," she said quietly. "You are going to do this right. If you let him die, I will kill you myself. Do you understand?"

Simon stared into her dark eyes. "Zoe …"

"Do you understand?" she repeated.

He nodded slowly. "Let's get this over with," he said, leaning forward again.

---

Kaylee stood outside the infirmary, watching carefully, Inara's arms draped around her shoulders.

"You should be laying down," Inara said.

"I'm worried about Simon," Kaylee said, shaking her head. "And Hank, too, of course. But it's too soon for Simon to be doing this kinda thing."

"Mal didn't have a choice, _bao-bei_."

"I know. But look at him. He can hardly stand up."

It was true. The shaking in his hands had increased, and although he had removed the bullet it was Zoe who was having to stitch up. He was leaning against the medbed, his face nearer grey than flesh toned.

"But you're pleased he's back?"

"Of course," Kaylee protested, looking into the Companion's face. "He's just so … he hasn't even asked about Bethany."

"Maybe he doesn't -"

"Of course he does!" Kaylee bit her hand. "'Nara, course he knows. He hasn't even asked to see her …"

Mal watched them talking, knowing what they were saying, his concern over Simon equally strong.

---

Freya opened the storeroom door on the Artemis and stepped inside, her gun in front of her. The man who had shot Hank was sitting on the floor, staring at her.

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

"Where are they?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Freya sighed. "Now, that isn't the answer I wanted to hear." She shook her head. "What's your name?"

"What? Why?"

"Just wondered what you wanted put on your tombstone. If you get one. Might just toss you out of the airlock."

The man stared at her. "You … you wouldn't."

"I've done it before."

He found himself believing her. "Kyle. My name's Kyle," he said through suddenly dry lips.

"Kyle. Nice name. For your father?"

"What?"

"Where is she, Kyle? Where's River?"

"I told you, I don't know what you're talking about."

"So you go around shooting people all the time."

"You invaded my ship!"

She shrugged. "True. Did that. And I don't believe you."

"Your problem."

"No, Kyle. It's yours." She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out of the store.

---

"Captain?" Kaylee asked as Mal left the infirmary.

"He's okay, _mei-mei_," Mal assured her. "Zoe was right, didn't hit anything vital. Just … he's gonna be fine."

Kaylee grinned in relief. "Thank the Lord for that." She glanced past him. "And Simon?"

Mal's face darkened a little. "Not so sure about him."

"Does he know where River is?"

"No."

"So …" Kaylee hugged herself.

"Freya's trying to find out," he said, stroking her arm.

"What if you can't?"

"We will. I kept my promise about bringing Simon home, didn't I?"

"Yes, yes you did, Cap'n."

Mal looked at Inara. "Make her take a rest," he said.

"How?" she asked, her eyes dark and questioning.

"Try. I'm gonna see how Frey's getting on."

---

Freya dragged Kyle into the room, pointing to the chair and restraints. "You used this on Simon, didn't you? We found him here, found needle marks matching this on his head. You put him into this and tortured him. Didn't you?" When Kyle didn't answer she pulled him closer. "Didn't you?" she repeated directly into his face.

"That was Mitch's department," Kyle said, glaring at her. "Nothing to do with me."

"Mitchell Lon."

He was suddenly afraid. Something in her eyes told him that was the last name he should have mentioned. She started to lift her gun.

"Frey." A tall man stood in the doorway, pants tucked into boots, braces over his shoulders. Looked like he was in charge.

"I'm going to blow his brains all over the wall. Eventually," the woman holding him said.

"No. You ain't. We still need to know where."

The woman glanced back at the man. "And Hank?"

"He's gonna be okay. Seems like our friend here ain't as good a shot as he thinks." The man stepped into the room, invading his personal space. "But I'm betting he knows all kinds of interesting things." He shivered.

Freya felt the man tremble and glanced at the chair. "Could always take a leaf out of their dirty and disgusting book," she suggested.

"Might work. Be interesting to find out."

"I'm willing to give it a try." She pushed Kyle backwards, the man's eyes widening in fear as he realised she meant every word she said.

"No!" he yelled, fighting her.

Freya hit him on the chin, a single punch, but it blurred his vision and disoriented him enough so she could slap him down in the chair and activate the restraints. Cuffs slid across his wrists and the headset lowered. He heard the recording instruments start up.

Mal stepped closer. "Which one do you want to try first?" he asked, picking up one of the phials.

"Oh, I was thinking of making a kind of cocktail out of them," Freya said, lifting a hypo. "I don't think we have time for finesse."

"It's an estate!" Kyle screamed. "But I don't know which one! Mitch didn't tell me!"

Freya turned to face him. "Who's the target?" Her dark eyes were hard, like specks of the black.

"I don't know!"

"Not good enough." Freya took the phial from Mal and filled the hypo.

"I'm telling you the truth. Please, don't do this!" he pleaded.

Freya tilted her head slightly, tapping the hypo to get rid of any air bubbles. "What did you do to River?" she asked, her voice quieter, but much more frightening.

"It wasn't me!" he insisted. "It was him. Mitchell Lon. He … he fed her with the Miranda tape, over and over, and drugs, lots of them, until she couldn't … he's got her under his control now. She'll kill just to stop him showing her again." He cowered as much as he could in the seat.

"That wouldn't do it," Mal said, shaking his head. "She saw it before. Lived with it, all of it. Killed all those Reavers. It wouldn't do it."

"You don't know," Kyle insisted. "He's got it wired directly into her brain. She can't turn it off, turn away from it. And the drugs … she's hypersensitive, I … look, it's not just the Miranda stuff, but how he's doing it. I don't understand, but … I just saw what it did to her. Never heard anyone scream like that. Made her throat bleed."

Freya dropped the hypo on the tray and leaned in towards him, her face only inches from his. "How do we stop it?" she asked.

"I don't know. Like I said, that's not my area of expertise."

"And what is your area?"

"Finding people."

"Like Simon and River?"

"Yes, yes," he said quickly, agreeing with her. "The rest … it's all Mitch."

Freya's hand tightened on the butt of her gun. "That family," she muttered.

"He said she's hiding. Her mind's gone someplace else. He's accessed her training, turned her back into … look, please. If I knew where they were going I'd tell you. Please."

"I think he's telling the truth," Mal said, his stomach cold.

"Yes." She walked back towards the door.

"What about me?" Kyle asked, glancing at the man still standing near him. He saw this man shake his head sadly.

The woman turned in the doorway, drawing her gun and firing in one motion. The bullet hit Kyle between the eyes, shattering the head restraint and pushing shards of metal into his brain. His eyes stared sightlessly.

"He helped. Would have killed Hank," she said. "I'll get to the bridge. See if there's any way I can track that shuttle."

"Yeah," Mal replied, walking out of the room with her, his hand on her shoulder.

---

Simon checked Hank's readings. He'd be waking from the anaesthetic soon, and then Zoe would rush down from the bridge, pretending that she wasn't concerned. He took a deep breath, trying to stop remembering.

"Simon?"

The young doctor rubbed his hand across his eyes as he turned, looking at Kaylee standing in the doorway, a small bundle in her arms.

"You should be in bed," he said. "I know what happened. You should be resting."

Kaylee looked at him, wanting him to run to her, take her in his arms and … but he was holding back. "I wanted you to meet Bethany," she said, pulling the shawl to one side so he could see a small face, fast asleep.

He took a step back, lifting a hand to almost ward her off. "I can't, Kaylee."

She looked up into his eyes, and saw nothing there. "Simon, this is your daughter."

"I know. But I can't." He hugged himself, trying to draw inside.

"Simon …"

"I betrayed you," he said in a rush. "I told them everything they wanted to know."

"_Bao bei?_"

"I told them. Answered every question they asked. Everything I'd done to help River, about you, about Mal, about Freya …" He pointed to little Bethany. "I'm not the man she needs as a father, Kaylee."

Kaylee felt tears slipping down her cheeks. "But you are. Simon, Zoe told me. How they found you. What they'd been doing to you." Her voice cracked. "You didn't do it because you wanted to."

"It doesn't matter. I still gave them what they needed."

"And Bethany needs you." Her face began to screw up. "_I_ need you."

"You're better without me." He watched her crying and couldn't go to her. "When we've got River back, we'll be leaving Serenity."

"Simon, no!" Kaylee screamed at him.

"It's better. Then you won't be in any more danger." He shook his head, drowning the emotions inside him under an avalanche of ice.

"Kaylee?" Mal asked, hurrying into the common area. Jayne was behind him, Zoe running down the stairs from the bridge. "_Mei-mei_? What is it?"

"Simon wants to leave!" she cried, hugging Bethany to her breast. "Stop him. Oh, Mal, stop him!"

Mal fixed the young man with a stern eye. "Doctor? What's this all about?"

Simon stood straight, dropping his arms and staring the captain down. "I won't be staying on board."

Kaylee moaned, and immediately Zoe steered her to a chair, making her sit before she fell down.

"Mal? What is it?" Inara asked from the door to the cargo bay.

"Not rightly sure." He looked Simon in the eyes. "Why would you be considering leaving us? What better place have you got to go to?"

"It doesn't matter. Just not here."

"So you're considering taking my mechanic someplace you ain't even sure about –"

"No. Kaylee doesn't come with me. She and the baby stay behind." Simon's eyes were cold.

Mal was about as shocked as he could get. "You mean to tell me you'd leave your baby and her mother alone?"

"She isn't alone. She's got you." Simon pushed past him, walking up the steps to the cargo bay, Inara getting out of his way. "I don't intend to discuss this any more."

"What the hell's gotten into him?" Jayne asked.

"I don't know," Mal admitted, moving past the big man. "But I intend to find out." He followed Simon into the bay, noting Smith standing where Lee had fallen, but ignoring him. "You just hold there, doctor."

Simon turned to look at him. "Why? I told you, I don't care to discuss this further."

"Well, you're gonna." Mal crossed the floor to him, stopping a couple of feet away. "That little girl in there is breaking her heart because of you. I think you owe me an explanation, Doctor Tam."

Simon laughed, but it was cold, cynical. "I don't owe you anything, _Captain _Reynolds"

"No?" Mal hitched his thumbs into his pants. "I took you on board when no-one else would, fed you, gave you shelter, you and your sister. Nearly got every crew member killed on more than one occasion over you. I think you owe me for that."

"And I saved your lives. All of you. More than once. I think the debt is paid."

"Mal." Freya's voice sounded over the com, but no-one paid attention.

Mal glared at the young doctor, noting the dead look behind his eyes, the cold expression. He'd seen it before, the day Kaylee had introduced them that first time. Before he'd warmed to them. Before he'd become family. "Ain't good enough," he said.

"Mal," Inara called. "Kaylee's just told me … Simon said he betrayed us all."

"Betrayed …" Mal shook his head. "What the _diyu_ –"

Simon nodded. "She's right. I did. I betrayed you, told Lon everything he wanted to know. Just how to turn River back into a killing machine." He smiled coldly. "And this is the kind of man you want to stay on your ship?"

"Mal?" Freya's voice again.

Mal took a deep breath. "Simon … where we found you, what they'd done to you … anyone would have told them anything."

"Would you?"

"Can't say," Mal said. "Ain't been in that position."

"No, but Niska killed you and you still didn't break." There was bitterness there now.

"He wasn't asking for information," Mal pointed out. "Just wanted me to die slow."

"But you didn't beg for mercy. Beg him to stop."

"Did you?"

"No. But only because I couldn't speak." Simon closed his eyes, trying not to see, to feel, to remember. "I thought I was a strong man, but they took me apart, Mal."

At least he was using his first name, now, Mal thought. Might be a good sign. "What did they use?" he asked.

"What?" Simon asked, looking at him in surprise.

"What did they use on you? Do you have any inkling?"

Simon swallowed. "A mix, I think. Venedrin, Carbaxin, maybe some Penethederine."

"What do they do? Describe the results." Mal was aware of the others standing behind him in the cargo bay, but concentrated on the young man in front.

"Pain. Escalating pain. Hallucinations. Loss of motor power. Suppression of pulmonary and cardio response. Activation of –"

"How long?" Mal asked. "How long could a man stand that before he did what they wanted?"

"I …I …" Simon stammered, then his clinical brain kicked in. "Five hours. No more."

Mal stepped closer to him, going to take the young man by the arm before he flinched away. "Simon, near as we can figure it, you were in that chair nearer twelve. Twelve hours, Simon. More'n twice what you say a man can take. You think I could – hell, any of us could take it that long?"

Simon stared at him. "I …"

A baby cried.

"Simon, that's your daughter. She's gonna grow up healthy and strong because of you. And she's gonna be proud of you." Mal stepped back. "You didn't betray us, Simon. You didn't betray River, either." He smiled slightly. "You did good, son."

"You know," Jayne added unexpectedly, "if'n you don't go see to Bethany, I will."

"Don't you touch my daughter," Simon said, striding past Mal and back towards the infirmary.

"Mal?" It was Freya in person this time, running into the cargo bay, her weapon drawn. "What the _tyen shiao duh _ is going on?"

"I think Simon might've come to his senses."

"Good. 'Cause I think I know where they are."


	8. Chapter 8

"Here," Freya said, pointing to a large estate on the Cortex map, some way from the eastern edge of Osiris City. "Looks like they touched down around ten minutes ago, 'bout quarter of an hour's walk from the main house."

"Captain," Smith said urgently. "That address – it's mine."

"What?" Mal glanced up at him.

"My home. It looks like the target is me." His face had paled under his normal chestnut complexion.

"Then they ain't gonna find you at home," Mal said.

"No. But my wife is. And my son." Smith took hold of Mal's arm. "I have to warn them."

"Fine. Tell 'em to hide until we get there."

"You don't understand. I have to tell the Alliance, get men there to protect them."

"No. No way!" Mal said firmly. "They'll shoot to kill, and I aim on getting River back." He shook Smith's hand off. "Now you have two choices – either Zoe here locks you somewhere safe, or you come with us. But you ain't calling the Feds. They'd go in mob-handed and likely kill everyone there, including your family. You want that?"

Smith paled even further. "Of course not. But –"

"I don't have time to debate this," Mal said, the look on his face bordering on disgust. "We have to get going. No telling what that girl's doing. So yes or no?"

"I'll come with you," Smith said.

"Shiny." He looked at the rest of his crew. "We'll be taking their ship. Serenity's been tagged by the Feds here, they'll notice if we break atmo. Frey, you'll pilot." She nodded. "Doc, Hank okay to be left?"

Simon, standing close to Kaylee if not actually touching her, said, "Well, I don't know –"

"We're going for your sister, and you're the only one who knows those words to put her out."

"I can teach you."

"Like I said, no time. And we might need a doctor. Can Hank be left for a few hours?"

"I'll stay with him," Kaylee volunteered, leaning into Simon. "Ain't going anywhere else."

"Good girl," Mal said approvingly. He turned to the rest of his crew. "Get your weapons – we're leaving now."

---

Freya piloted the craft skilfully through the other traffic, taking the most direct route to the estate, but it was still nearly fifteen minutes before they landed next to the house.

"How come they took so long to get down?" Mal asked as the ship settled onto the grass.

"Probably didn't come straight here," Freya said. "Didn't want to arouse suspicion. But they've still been here a while." She glanced up at him standing by her shoulder. "You think there's anyone left inside alive?"

"We have to hope so."

She cut the Artemis' engines and they hurried down to the airlock.

"They'll know we're here," Jayne commented, sheathing the knife at his belt and settling his gunbelt more securely.

"Might think we're just visitors," Zoe said.

"Still won't want witnesses," the big man added. "Like as kill us soon as we go in the front door."

"Then you don't have to go in the front door," Mal said. "Enough jabbering. Come on."

---

The house was large, four stories of Earth-that-was retro style. A verandah ran around the first floor sides and back, but the front was imposing enough without it.

"Being Alliance sure pays well," Jayne muttered.

"Still get you killed," Mal replied, heading smoothly up the drive, walking as if he had every right to be there. At the end he stopped, stepping behind a high wall.

"The place is too big, sir," Zoe said quietly, taking a better grip of her carbine. "We could miss her and have her on us without a moment's pause."

"I know. But we gotta try this." He glanced at his first mate then nodded behind them to where the chestnut-coloured man followed. "You think we should done like Smith wanted, called the Feds?"

"You know me better than that, sir."

"Yeah. Take the high ground."

"Sir." Zoe tapped Jayne on the shoulder and motioned towards the wide, exterior staircase leading to the top floor.

He nodded and they moved off silently.

Freya, in front of them, paused. She beckoned him and he joined her. "River's here," she whispered, barely a sound, pointing towards the front doors.

A man lay sprawled on the flagstones, his throat sliced so deep it was a wonder he'd kept his head. Two guns lay just beyond his outstretched hands.

"Stay sharp," Mal breathed, heading past the body to the wide open main doors. Scanning the long wide hall that reached up to the roof, he slid inside.

"Captain, my family …" Smith said quietly.

"Go."

The dark man nodded gratefully and oozed away, surprisingly noiselessly.

Mal looked at Freya, pointed up the stairs to the first floor and she inclined her head slightly, just once, then was gone. Simon, his hands grasping his gun tightly, stayed close to his captain.

At the door to the kitchen there was another body, this one slashed across the chest as well as the neck, and Mal had a mental image of what River had done to the Reavers, a blade in each of her small hands.

"She doesn't mean to," Simon said urgently. "It's not her fault!"

"I know," Mal murmured. "Let's hope she realises that too." He led the way towards one of the main drawing rooms.

---

Smith fumbled with the digicombination, then told himself to slow down. The door to the panic room was closed, secure, so he was sure they were safe inside. Somehow, though, that didn't help. His mind still played scenarios of finding them, bloody, dismembered, or calling out to him with their last breaths as he held them in his arms. Finally he heard the lock whirr and the door moved smoothly open.

A shotgun blast almost took his head off.

"Tally! Tally!" he called. "It's me!"

He looked inside into the terrified eyes of his wife, recognition blooming, then she cried out, dropping the gun to the floor. He hurried to her, holding her close.

"They …" His wife couldn't speak. "I thought …"

"Ssh," he said, looking down into his son's frightened face. "John, close the door again."

His son scrambled to his feet and punched the button, the panel sliding across. He felt no remorse, so compulsion to help the crew of Serenity. All he cared about was here in this room.

---

"Moonbrain'll kill us all," Jayne muttered, checking in the wardrobe.

"I thought you liked her," Zoe said, looking out of the window towards the Artemis.

"Only if she ain't trying to stick a knife into me. I don't take too kindly to being spit."

"If she tries, I'll shoot her for you," Serenity's first mate said dryly.

"See you do," the big mercenary replied. "Otherwise I'd be as like to break her skinny neck."

---

An open door on the first floor looked into what appeared to be a study, but what attracted her most were the slight sounds from inside. As she pushed the door further open, moving silently on well-oiled hinges, Freya could see a man standing at the wall safe, going through various cases and papers, letting most of them fall to the thick carpet but pocketing the contents of others.

"I don't think that's yours," she said quietly.

He turned, dropping a diamond necklace from suddenly nervous fingers. "Who the hell are you?" he asked, gawping at the gun in her hand.

Freya stared at him, at the face of Eric Lon with the brain of another behind it, just as bad. "Freya Nordstrom," she said, her gun aimed at a point directly between his eyes, her finger tightening on the trigger.

"You were … when Eric was killed. Tam said it was because of you." Mitchell Lon backed up a step.

"He … hurt me."

"You're not in his notes." He was trying to keep her talking, hoping the girl would find them. "What did he do to you?"

Her gun didn't waver. "He burned all the skin off my back with acid, then programmed me to kill my friends." Her calm voice and passive face were at odds with her words. Until you looked into her eyes. "And you've programmed River to kill Jeremiah Smith."

"Who?" He looked honestly bewildered.

"Oh, that's right. You don't know all the names he uses." She indicated the room. "The man who lives here. The man you're robbing." She looked disgusted. "Not content with having him murdered, but you have to pilfer as well?"

Lon held out a handful of pretties. "Seems a shame," he said. "But we can share."

"That's not what I'm here for." She took a step closer. "Where's River?"

"I … I don't know," Lon said, swallowing hard. "She's … I let her go."

"Why do I doubt that?" Her eyes narrowed. "Unless it was to kill."

"That's what she is!" Lon said, a sudden irrational defiance in his tone. "Just an assassin. A killer. That's all."

"Not all," Freya said, shaking her head. "She's my friend."

The look on her face made Lon's blood run cold. "She …"

"How do we stop her?"

"I tell you that and you'll shoot me," Lon said, backing up against the wall.

"Don't tell me and I'll shoot you. Only it won't be quick."

"No. I don't –"

The sound of a gunshot filled the plush room, and the smell of blood drifted across as Lon screamed, falling to the floor and grasping his shattered left kneecap. "How do we switch her off?" Freya asked.

"You stupid bitch!" he shouted, trying to stem the blood, anger bubbling through the pain. "She'll slaughter all of you!"

Freya gazed at him, her eyes cold, as she fired again, the bullet finding his right elbow. "How do we stop her?" she repeated.

Lon couldn't get a breath. Pain was radiating across his body, and he was finding it hard to think. "I … I …" He stammered, then tried to crawl backwards, ignoring the agony, as she aimed her gun at his right knee. "Disconnect the … the autoinjector. It's …" He sobbed. "It's feeding the drugs directly into … into her brain."

"How?"

"Please, I need a doctor!" Lon pleaded.

"How?"

"You … you can switch it off … on the unit. But … please, I need help here!" he begged. He'd never known there could be such pain, never realised what agony meant.

"Will she wake up from it? What you've done?"

He nodded, tears streaming down his face. "As soon as she's … disconnected, the images will stop, and … oh, God, it hurts."

"Yes." She stepped forward. "It does. Like pouring drugs directly in someone's brain. Or burning all the skin of their back with acid."

"That wasn't me!" Lon insisted, trying to draw away.

"Same face," Freya said, lifting her gun again and firing it directly into his.

---

The downstairs rooms were all empty, from what they could see, but that wasn't improving Mal's temper.

"What happens if we can't find her?" Simon asked. "If she's –"

"Got loose? Headed for Osiris City?" Mal pushed open the door back into the main hall. "Don't think I want to ponder on … _tzao gao_." He stared.

River was standing on the black and white tiles, some kind of triple-bladed weapon in each hand. She was staring at him.

"River?" Simon said, impulsively moving towards her, but Mal grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

"No call to be fool-hardy, doc," he whispered. "I think you'd better try that little phrase you've been practising."

Simon nodded and cleared his throat. "_Eta kooram nah smech_!" he said loudly.

River looked at him with her dark eyes, but she didn't fall. There was no indication it had had any effect on her at all.

"Great," Mal said. "Got any other bright ideas?"

"Mal, put your gun away. Let me talk to her." Simon put a restraining hand on the captain's arm. "Please."

Mal glanced at him, then back at the young girl standing so still. "Doctor, you sure about this?"

"No. But we have to try."

"She comes at us, or you, and I will fire," Mal said.

"I understand."

"So long as you do." Mal holstered his gun.

Simon took a step forward but stopped when his sister raised one of her weapons. "River. I know you can hear me. It's me. Simon. Your brother. Do you recognise me?" The girl didn't move. "I know what they did, River. I know they showed you Miranda, over and over, not letting you sleep or look away. You couldn't even close your eyes, could you? Because it was there, in your brain. So you hid. Hid in some corner of your mind and let them take the rest." He reached out his hands. "But you're still in there. Aren't you?"

She knew who he was. It didn't matter – she could know them all and still slaughter them. The room could run with their blood and she wouldn't feel anything at all.

"River …" Simon began again. "Please. Let us help you." He glanced at the captain, appealing to him.

Mal tried, speaking softly. "River, listen to me. Listen to my voice. I don't want to fight you, but I know you're in there. You have to be strong, little albatross, I know you can get through. I don't want to fight you." He paused a moment. "Mainly because I'm not sure I could win."

She still stared, unblinking, reminding both men of a young girl standing amidst the component parts of a dozen Reavers.

"Try it again," Mal said, shrugging.

"_Eta kooram nah smech_."

Still nothing happened. River just stood, the blades in her hands, gazing at them, calculating how much effort it would take to render them into small pieces. Whether she should. She hadn't been told to, but they were in her way.

Freya slowly turned the corner, following the sounds of Mal and Simon's voices. She stopped as she saw the tableau in front of her, River with her back to her, the other two the other side of the room. She knew they could see her, too, and put her hand up slightly to warn them.

Lights flashed on the box attached to the belt about River's waist, the tubes going up her back to the base of her skull, disappearing into an area of matted, blood soaked hair. Freya took a slow breath, easing forward, but Simon's eyes flickered towards her, and River began to turn. The older woman wanted to swear but there wasn't time, just leaped forward and tugged the tubes from River's head, liquid spraying from the disconnected ends.

River span on her heel, the weapon in her left hand slicing upwards.

"River!" Simon cried.

"Freya!" Mal shouted, darting forward, but she had turned again and he narrowly missed being gutted. Anger on his face he stepped back again, watching Freya with absolute anguish in his eyes.

Freya looked down at her chest, feeling an odd burning pain begin. Then her knees gave out beneath her and she collapsed to the floor, only seeing River's feet and Mal beyond. "Mal," she whispered.

Mal drew his gun again. "Get out of the way," he ordered, his blue eyes almost black with anger. "Get out of the way or I will shoot you where you stand."

River lifted the blades, blood dripping from one of them.

"Mal, no!" Simon cried, grabbing at him.

Mal shook him off.

"Mal …" Freya said again, not able to move, her mind going numb from the pain.

"River!" Simon yelled. "Please! For me … for Kaylee … for Bethany …"

River blinked. "Bethany …" she mouthed.

"Move!" Mal ordered, aiming directly between her eyes. He cocked the weapon, the sound loud above Freya's increasingly distressed breathing.

"Mal, no!" Simon launched himself at the other man just as Zoe and Jayne ran down the stairs behind them. Jayne grabbed at him, pinning his arms to his sides. "God, please!"

"Bethany?" River said softly, looking down at her hands, the blades, the blood dripping onto the stone tiles, collecting in small red pool. She glanced across at Freya. "No." Her fingers opened and the weapons clattered to the ground.

Mal lowered his gun a little, seeing the shock pass over her face, the tears spring to her eyes, and he ran forward, going down on his knees next to Freya.

Simon pulled free from Jayne, and moved forward, taking River into his arms.

"Mal! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to … I couldn't … Oh, Mal …" the girl said, her voice choking.

"Simon," Mal called, opening Freya's shirt so he could see the ugly, pulsing wound in her belly. When the young man didn't move, Mal spoke again, this time in a voice so hard that it filled the room. "Leave her and look to Freya. I ain't telling again."

Zoe moved past Jayne and took River from Simon, who nodded gratefully then joined Mal.

Freya looked up at Mal, her eyes fixed on his face. "Hurts," she murmured.

"I know it does, darlin'. But the doc here's gonna fix you up real well. Be annoying the hell out of me again 'fore you know it." He managed a smile. "Ain't gonna let you get outta marrying me that easy."

"I need my medbag," Simon said quietly and Jayne dropped it at his side. Opening it he quickly found what he needed and packed the wound with an emergency bandage. "Hold it closed," he told Mal.

Mal reached down and placed his hands either side of the long gash, pressing. Freya moaned. "I know. And I'm sorry," he whispered. He looked up into Simon's face.

"Mal, it's too –" The young doctor stopped.

"Get her back to Serenity. Use the facilities there."

"Mal, I can't … this is too deep."

Mal turned on the young doctor. "I risked everything to save you and your sister, and you're damn well gonna save Freya! _Dong mah_?"

"I can't –"

Mal was on his feet in a split, grabbing the front of Simon's shirt with bloody hands, pushing him against the wall with such force his head slammed against the panelling. "You save her. Or I'll finish what Lon started."

Simon stared back. "I'm not a miracle worker, captain."

"No, but maybe she is." He didn't glance down, didn't see Zoe going down on her knees in his place, holding the sides of the wound together. "You told me yourself, she recovered before from something she shouldn't have. More'n once. So you take her back to Serenity and you damn well help her now."

After a moment Simon nodded and Mal let him down.

"Captain Reynolds," Smith said, appearing in the doorway, "I have facilities here. You don't need to go back to your ship. And she would not survive a trip like that."

Mal stared at him. "Where is it?"

"Follow me."

"Jayne, help us," Simon said, brushing ineffectually at the bloodstains and going back to Freya. The big man grunted and bent down, tenderly gathering Freya into his arms and lifting her up.

---

They watched Simon the man, the brother, turn into Simon the doctor, making full use of the well-equipped medical room.

Smith came to stand by Mal, thrown out because of the tension he was spreading. "How is she doing, Captain?" he asked.

"Simon's a good doctor."

"That wasn't what I asked."

"No. Guess it wasn't. And your family? Are they okay?"

"They're traumatised, of course," Smith said, his face darkening. "But they got into the safe room soon enough." He glanced at the other man. "She would have killed them, too, you know that."

"She intended to kill us all," Mal agreed.

"And yet you didn't shoot her when you had the chance. Why is that?"

"Because it wasn't her fault." Mal turned his blue eyes on the other man. "Lon did this, and he's paid for it."

"Yes, I saw the body. Was that …" He looked back into the medical room.

Mal shrugged. "For everything Freya is, she …" He paused, turning to stare back at Simon going about his work. "Lon's brother hurt her very badly. Took her back into the darkness, and I nearly lost her. I killed him for it."

"Still the soldier, Captain?"

"No, Jeremiah. Still the lover," Mal corrected gently. "And we're her family. All she has. I ain't gonna hold what she did to him against her."

"Captain, he was planning on slaughtering us. Even my eight year old son. I applaud what she did." He looked at the woman lying on the table. "I hope I get the chance to say thank you."

"Yeah." Mal crossed his arms, not quite hugging himself.

"What happens with the young assassin now?" Smith asked.

"She comes with us," Mal said shortly.

"Captain, surely –"

"She comes with us." He looked into the dark man's face. "She's family, Jeremiah."

"Yes, I think I realise that. And I still owe you my life."

Mal shook his head. "Your man Lee died helping us. I think we're even."

"Captain –"

"Even, Jeremiah. And if … when Freya pulls through this, I'll be owing you, and believe me, that will rankle almost as much as you owing me."

Smith smiled slightly. "But more fun for me."

"There is that."

"And will she pull through?" Smith asked.

Mal didn't answer, just watched Simon work.

---

--

-

The capture showed Freya in the cargo bay, telling Kaylee to switch that thing off. She was working out, and her skin glowed with perspiration. Mal, sitting in his bunk back on board his Firefly, touched the screen, wanting to touch her flesh, but all that was there was cold and hard.

"_But I got everyone,"_ Kaylee was saying. _"Even Jayne, and that wasn't easy. It's like a history – a history of Serenity."_

"_Couldn't you wait until I wasn't all hot and sweaty?"_

A voice interrupted his reverie. "Mal, I think you ought to come to the infirmary." It was Simon on the com.

Mal put the capture down reluctantly, and got up to answer. "Don't need any doctoring. And you were the one told me to go to my room, get some rest, or you'd sedate me there and then."

"Yes, but I think you should come anyway. There's something you should see."

"Doc –"

"Now, Mal."

Mal stared at the com for what seemed a lifetime, then hurriedly climbed the ladder out of his bunk.

As he turned to face the dining area, a phantom image of Freya leaning out of the doorway came to him. _"Isn't it time you stopped doing captainy things and had something to eat?" _the phantom asked, smiling, before fading away.

The catwalk above the cargo bay brought up another memory. Freya, leaning on the railing, watching the others playing their version of basketball.

"_Who's winning?" _he heard himself say.

Freya looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. _ "Not entirely sure. Want to join in?"_

He rapidly descended the staircase, passed quickly through the cargo bay. Still he glanced at the gym equipment, then swallowed hard.

"_Couldn't you wait until I wasn't all hot and sweaty?" _came the memory of her voice.

He hurried by, down the steps to the infirmary. "Hey," he said, his voice as normal as he could make it, smiling at the woman on the medbed.

"Hey," Freya said, somewhat bleary-eyed. "You okay?"

"Ain't I supposed to be asking that?"

"I got there first." She moved slightly then winced.

"Lie still," Simon advised. "You're going to be fine, but it's going to hurt for a few days."

"Not wrong," Freya said, trying to breathe as shallowly as she could.

Hank, on the other bed, was watching, his grin a mile wide. "I knew she was awake before the doc, here," he said. "Told him to call you."

Thanks," Mal said. "Knew there was a reason I hired you."

"Any time."

"You trying to make me go grey?" Mal asked, stepping close to the woman he didn't want to live without and lifting her hand, running his thumb over the engagement ring he'd put on her finger three times.

"Could look distinguished," Freya joked, smiling at him. "Though I like you as you are."

"Good. Ain't going anywhere. And neither are you."

"Is that an order, captain?"

"It is." He leaned down and kissed her gently, just pressing her lips. "You keep doing this to me and I'll be an old man before my wedding night."

"Better get married soon, then," she said, her eyes closing.

Mal looked up at Simon, who nodded reassuringly. "She needs to sleep. Best doctor there is."

"Shiny," Mal said. "And you heard her, agreeing to marry me soon."

"I did," Simon said, smiling a little.

"Could always be a double wedding," Freya said, her voice getting fainter. "You and me, Simon and Kaylee …" She slid into sleep.

"Could," Mal said. "If you ever get around to asking her." He stood up, looking into the young man's tired face. "If you don't fall down first."

"I'll be fine, Mal," Simon said quickly. "Just …"

"Doc, I had nightmares for a long time after Serenity Valley, but I got over them. Then when me and Wash were taken by Niska, they came back for weeks. Not being able to save the people who trusted me, who relied on me." Mal stroked Freya's hand. "You need to talk, and when you're ready I'll be there to listen."

"Or me," Hank put in. "Or any of us."

"That's …" Simon felt emotion rising in his chest. "Thanks."

"And tell that sister of yours that I ain't holding anything against her. I know she's avoiding me, so you just tell her."

"I … I will." Simon could hardly speak. "But I betrayed you all," he added softly.

"Maybe you did," Mal agreed. "But you saved her, Simon, and that's more important to me." He half-smiled. "You go and see your baby. Kaylee'll tan my hide if I don't make you at least drop by for a while. I'll look after these two."

"I don't know …"

"Simon, you want me to make that an order?"

The young doctor still hesitated for a moment, then his shoulders relaxed. "Yes sir, Captain Reynolds." He headed for the door.

"Oh, and, doc?" Mal called over his shoulder, watch the woman he loved sleeping peacefully. "You were right. I did need to come down here."


	9. Chapter 9

Simon crossed the common area to his quarters, glancing back only once. Mal was still standing by Freya's side as she slept, exchanging some words with Hank on the other bed. Mal was smiling, the first real smile he'd had for days.

Simon looked at his door, but didn't go in straight away. Instead he slid open the door to River's room, just checking on her. She was asleep, her arms clutching one of the spare pillows, her face turned towards him. Her mouth was slightly open, and as he watched he saw her lift her hand and slip her thumb between her lips. He smiled a little. She hadn't sucked her thumb since she was six, but he wasn't going to say anything, not with what she'd been through.

He'd had to shave a small area of hair at the base of her skull so he could dress the wounds where the tubes had been attached, but it wasn't too noticeable. She'd been much more worried about Freya, refusing to rest until she'd known the older woman wasn't going to die. Even then, it had taken a mild sedative to make her sleep. She'd been afraid she'd dream of Miranda, but Simon assured her that was all gone now. He almost believed it himself. But it would be a while before River was back to normal – well, as normal as she got. He had the feeling, though, that little Bethany was going to have a hand in that.

He closed the door quietly and turned to his own. He admitted a reluctance, no matter what Mal said. He still felt guilty, less than a man, but at least he wasn't running this time. And in there was the mother and child who depended on him.

He slid the door across and peeked in. They were asleep, both of them, Kaylee on the bed and Bethany in the crib next to her. Kaylee must have fallen asleep talking to her daughter, because her hand was off the bed and in the cot, resting against Bethany's cheek.

Simon swallowed and stepped inside, closing the door behind him to stop any draughts.

He moved closer and looked down at Bethany. At his daughter. She was so small, so beautiful, and it broke his heart to think he hadn't been there at her birth, hadn't delivered her himself. He'd so wanted to be, to have been the one to hand her to Kaylee, to see the utter look of adoration on her face. He'd missed so much already, and for that he apologised silently. He'd been stupid enough to think he should leave them both – now he knew he never could.

As quietly as he could he pulled open one of the drawers, reaching in under his shirts and pulling out a small velvet bag. He tipped the contents onto his hand and the light caught on the facets of the tiny bracelet. He'd bought it first planetfall after Kaylee had told him she was pregnant, after he'd managed to make up for being such a fool and before it all went wrong on Tetris. It was just a simple christening band, but he'd had one as a baby, and so had River. Now it was time for Bethany Tam to have one.

Carefully, as gently as he could manage so as not to wake her, he lifted little Bethany's left hand and slid the adjustable bracelet over her tiny fist. She wrinkled her nose and squeezed her eyes even tighter shut, but she didn't wake up. He ran a finger very lightly down her cheek, and she smiled in her sleep. He knew babies this young didn't really smile, but it still warmed him.

He looked at Kaylee, noting the shadows under her eyes. She must have been so worried, wondering if she'd ever see him again, but now she too was smiling. She was so happy, so cheerful most of the time, and he never wanted to make her cry again.

He glanced back towards the infirmary – he was sure the captain wouldn't mind if he just took five minutes rest. He'd been on his feet for so long, and the bed next to Kaylee looked so comfortable. And Mal had told him he needed to rest.

He slipped off his shoes and, with great care, climbed past Kaylee and lay down, his chest to her back. He put one arm across her, barely resting it on her, not wanting to wake her up. Still, he could feel her heart beating, the smooth, even resonance of her breathing. Suddenly she rolled towards him, throwing her arm around him and holding him tight, still asleep. But her smile grew.

He grasped her tighter, wondering how he could ever have considered leaving. He glanced across at Bethany, wearing his birthday present, and grinned. Just a few minutes, he thought, closing his eyes. Just a few minutes …

_He was standing on the edge of a cliff, looking down, clouds and the glint of fast flowing water far beneath him._

"_Come on," laughed River next to him. "It's easy!"_

_He smiled at her and stepped from the edge, and flew into the bright future._


End file.
